Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and former Democratic House candidate, has launched her campaign to replace Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race. The 2022 election saw Andrews, who previously ran against Rep. Nancy Mace, lose by over 14 percentage points. She wasted no time in announcing her new bid, using a three-and-a-half-minute political ad to critique Graham’s past actions and political stance. In the ad, she presents a series of X-ray images of children, showing conditions ranging from measles pneumonia and cancer to gunshot wounds, before concluding with a child ‘full of s—’ to symbolize Graham’s criticism of Trump’s policies and his own political inconsistencies.
Andrews, who has practiced medicine in South Carolina for over two decades, positions herself as a trusted medical professional. She emphasizes her experience with young patients, describing how parents trust her to ‘treat their kids for just about everything you can imagine.’ The ad showcases her interactions with young patients, reinforcing her image as a community-focused figure. She then shifts to a critique of Graham, who has long been associated with controversial political stances. Graham, who initially opposed Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign, has since become one of Trump’s most vocal supporters, a shift Andrews points to as emblematic of her broader critiques of Graham’s political flexibility.
The ad includes footage of Graham criticizing Trump, including labeling him as a ‘kook’ and telling him to ‘go to hell,’ only to later show support for Trump. Andrews uses this contradiction to argue that Graham’s loyalty is not consistent, and that he serves only his own interests. She also takes aim at several Trump allies, including Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Linda McMahon, and Pete Hegseth, who she accuses of undermining critical public services and social safety nets. The ad claims Graham voted to confirm these individuals, highlighting what Andrews calls a ‘radical liberal agenda’ that she believes is out of touch with South Carolina.
Graham’s campaign manager, Mark Knoop, responded to the ad by accusing Andrews of promoting a ‘radical liberal agenda’ and emphasized Graham’s commitment to conservative values, including tax cuts, border security, and the right to life. Knoop argued that Graham is ‘standing firm for conservative values’ and that the opposition to him is a result of his alignment with Trump’s agenda. Andrews, meanwhile, claims that Graham has changed his position on nearly every issue since entering the Senate and doesn’t represent any consistent ideology. She criticized the senator’s record, arguing he serves only his own interests and not the people of South Carolina.
Andrews also highlighted the challenges she believes South Carolina faces, such as failing schools, closing hospitals, and the climate crisis, all of which she ties to what she describes as attacks on the country’s social safety nets. She called for a movement that ‘puts common sense over culture wars and hope over hate,’ framing her campaign as a fight for the future of the state’s youth and its communities. In an interview with The Hill, Andrews further remarked on Graham’s shifting positions, saying that he has ‘changed his position on nearly every issue’ throughout his 22 years in the Senate. She argues that Graham ‘stands for nothing other than himself.’
Andrews, who previously worked at the Medical University of South Carolina, currently holds part-time roles at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and has a faculty appointment at George Washington University. She plans to renew her South Carolina medical license, which is set to expire next month. If elected to the Senate, she stated her goal is to make the child tax credit permanent, reflecting her focus on issues that she believes impact the most vulnerable in society. The race for South Carolina’s Senate seat is now entering a new phase with the candidacy of a woman who is not only a medical professional but also a vocal critic of Graham’s political career.