u/thelpsimper

So, what are everyone's thoughts on the debate? Who do you think won?

I think the debate reconfirmed that Darline Graham is not qualified to be a senator for SC. Dr. Annie Andrews performed well and came across as more qualified in my opinion.

However, I think she could have pushed back more against things that Darline said, especially regarding the big beautiful bill. She could have talked in more detail about her policies, why we should vote for her, why she is better for South Carolina than another Republican.

Overall though, I think she won the debate. I wish Darline had accepted Annie's invitation to more debates though.

Personally, I would love to see her take some action advocating for improved transit and urbanism. South Carolina is undoubtedly a growing state, yet the state is very car centric. If the state doesn’t start thinking long term, traffic, especially in urban areas, will become even more unbearable.

Greenville, Charleston, and Columbia would be GREAT candidates for fully dedicated bike lines, improved streetscapes (including sidewalks at all roads and burying overhead electric wires), and potentially even maybe getting one of these cities a BRT or Streetcar system.

Simply put, South Carolina CANNOT afford to be left behind when it comes to transit, urban planning, and public infrastructure and I hope soon to be Senator Dr. Andrews can advocate for this in the senate.

On a national level, if she could pull a reverse Fetterman and become a progressive firebrand instead of the relative “Moderate” she’s running under, it’ll be the best vote I ever casted.

Do you have real person problems?

If healthcare matters to you, actually look at what Annie Andrews is proposing. She supports keeping rural hospitals open, protecting and expanding Medicaid and Medicare, expanding affordable public coverage options, and improving access to maternal healthcare in rural communities.

These aren’t abstract political talking points. This is your life. Rural hospital access determines whether your family can get care close to home,or whether someone has to drive to a metro area while they’re sick, experiencing an emergency, or HAVING A BABY.

Will Darlene Graham keep the hospital open? She hasn’t had much time, but it’s not a promising outlook considering what she has said about working people.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but do yourself and family a favor, but show up to vote and please choose Annie…Not another Graham.

I grew up in South Carolina and graduated from college there. It's a beautiful state with lovely people. I've never self- identified with any political party, always voted for the candidate that I thought was the most capable and qualified to solve problems.

I had mixed feelings about Lindsey Graham. Some things I agreed with him on and others I didn't. I think it's admirable the way he took care of his sister after their parents died.

But I do not think by any stretch his sister should be the next Senator from South Carolina. She has made it clear that she will do what Trump tells her to do. That's not following the constitution! Congress is there to provide independent oversight of the Executive branch not just go along with the President.

South Carolina...please give this election some deep thought for the good of the state and the country.

Early Voting Period

• Early Voting for 2026 Statewide General Election are Monday, October 19 - Saturday, October 31.
• Early voting centers are open 8:30 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. (Monday-Saturday)
• Closed Sunday, October 25

This should be interesting

Looks like Annie Andrews has been accepting invitations to debate, and Darline Graham hasn't. There's even a webpage up, with a ticker counting how long it's been since Andrews challenged Graham, with no response from team Graham.

I'm hoping Graham accepts. It would be an interesting watch.

Downtown Sumter is gonna be a circus in April 2027!

Hello again! I saw all the comments on my previous post on why as a teen, I believe we should vote Annie Andrews in for Senate. And while occasionally I got a hate comment (can’t please everyone lol), I did see a lot of support, which I do actually appreciate. Thanks! I thought I’d make a second post just to address everything, and additional thoughts. Why not?

1. Yes, I’m actually a kid. I guess it’s probably a little confusing seeing a teen talk about politics in the south carolina reddit community, but I am indeed a kid. I’m 14, turning 15 soon, and I just became freshman president at my high school. For those saying to get involved, already ahead of you there! I’ve also been talking to everyone there on why I think Andrews would be more beneficial than Graham, and I have seen a lot of agreement, which brings me to my second point.
2. Youth Support is a key factor in this election. I realized while thousands of kids can’t directly vote, they can still influence the minds of the people they talk to, like dominos. For example, my last (and first) post got 78 THOUSAND VIEWS. That’s amazing! That means no matter which end of the political spectrum you belong to, you saw my post and were influenced by it, either in a small or big way. If 78 thousand people all voted Andrews because of this post, she would almost definitely win the election! So, if every kid started getting more involved, telling their parents on why they think Andrews will be the better candidate, it would be huge. Gargantous, if I may (huge dictionary word wow). So, if somehow you are also a kid, just try a little bit to get more involved, no matter what side you lean towards. I just think that kids do belong here in politics, and our country as a whole will be for the better if you stay up to date with everything.
3. Voter turnout is key. A lot of people have the mindset of “oh my candidate doesn’t have a chance, i won’t even bother going“. First, America in general is undergoing a huge blue wave, and people are fed up with all the corruptness found in our current govt. Second, YOU are the reason we keep losing. 40% of our population doesn’t even bother voting. If they all voted, we would win, and it wouldn’t even be close. I won’t try to sell you the moon and stars, but our chance will be better if you turned up, brought a friend or two, and voted. This is especially if you live in areas in or around the Grand Strand and Pee Dee regions, because that’s where we struggle in terms of amount of voters. That’s where we can win the senate.
4. I realized that I was way too biased, and glazed over Andrews values and why I believe in them. Not my proudest moment, but hope I can make up for it here. I shouldn’t have been all “Graham bad, Andrews good”, and should have given y‘all some actual reasons why. I’ll list ’em here. First, healthcare. As you’ve maybe seen in the news lately, the cuts by the Trump administration to Medicaid have been hurting low income families, and it becomes harder for children to get simple medicine that could be life saving. I hate how kids die at the expense of billionaires. Before I continue, I’d like to add that the only issue I'm mixed on is abortion. I disagree on the fact that mothers will abort their child just because it’s convenient to them. So there’s that. Next, our border security. I do agree that border needs to be strengthened, but the way we’re going about it is completely wrong. Instead of deporting everyone that looks at ICE funny, we need a way citizenship can be gained for hardworking families, and being compassionate through our security, while still enforcing our laws and practices. I won’t say I know everything, but Andrews agrees with me, according to her platform. These are the main two, I might add more later, just feeling pretty tired from writing this essay.

Additional Thoughts: There are a couple things I forgot to bring up that make me mad. First, Darline Graham not wanting to even debate Annie Andrews. This is what makes me the maddest. She talked all that sh*t about her, but when the call came to debate, she acted like a coward and doesnt even respond. This is where voters can truly see who is the better candidate, and Graham not answering that call just made me pissed (excuse my language). Also, that whole fiasco about working into you die for healthcare? What? She, ironically, made the case for Andrews while trying to slander her.

Final Thoughts: I think Graham is still favored, but it’s much closer than people think. Perhaps 48 to 52. However, this state can be won if voter turnout is big, as it usually favors us Dems in this case. I won’t say we are a sure fire thing to win, or sell you the moon and stars, but we can make things more than just interesting. Graham shouldn’t get a free pass in just because she her last name is Graham and she has a R next to her name. Let’s go shock the world.

Thanks for hearing me talk! I might answer some things in this post as well in my last one. Have a great day!

EDIT: I do realize I brushed over quite a lot of things. I tried to cover a little bit more in this one. Apologies Reddit!

I know things are crazy. Stay positive, only a couple of months to go until we can start fixing things...

Annie Andrews leads poll 42-39