by WILL FOLKS
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A nationwide blue wave came crashing into South Carolina on Tuesday evening (November 3, 2026) – its swells bolstered by unprecedented infighting amongst Palmetto State “Republicans.”
When the waters receded, the Palmetto State had elected its first Democrat to statewide office in twenty years – and sent its first Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1998.
The author of these history-making exploits? Annie Andrews, a left-of-center Lowcountry pediatrician who managed to co-opt the economic populism that was once the signature of U.S. president Donald Trump’s MAGA movement – until Trump abandoned it, that is.
Andrews ran on gas, grits and groceries… promising to lower costs on all of the above. Voters are giving her that opportunity.
With 89% of precincts reporting, Andrews had received 925,103 votes (or 51% of all ballots counted) while interim U.S. senator Darline Graham Nordone, the GOP nominee, had 850,509 votes (or 46.9% of all ballots counted).
Nordone was recruited to run by Trump – who appeared in South Carolina three times on her behalf.
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It didn’t help… with many South Carolina conservatives explicitly rejecting the president’s multiple overtures.
Trump’s betrayal of his populist roots came at the behest of warmongering neoconservatives led by the late U.S. senator Lindsey Graham – who died four months ago in office. Graham’s death led to furious intra-party strife in erstwhile ruby red South Carolina, with Trump, monied outside interests and the state’s GOP establishment opting to install his sister, Nordone, as the GOP nominee for his seat.
That move enraged conservatives… many of whom opted to write-in the name of Nordone’s primary rival, outgoing congressman Ralph Norman.
Compounding the problem for the GOP? Trump’s war with Iran spiked fuel costs at the worst possible time for the party in power – price hikes Andrews seized upon while Nordone was caught flat-footed.
This is a developing story… please check back for updates.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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