S.C. Succession: Annie Andrews Pushes Back

by WILL FOLKS

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A surprisingly competitive U.S. Senate race in South Carolina took a curious turn this week when Dr. Annie Andrews – the Democrat nominee – launched a new ad pushing back at allegations from her Republican opponent, Darline Graham Nordone.

“Politics can get pretty ugly – and when it does, you deserve to hear the truth,” Andrews said in the 30-second spot, which addressed criticisms leveled against her by Nordone on a pair of hot-button social issues.

“My career as a pediatrician has always been about taking care of kids, and I’ve got three of my own,” Andrews continued. “So I want you to hear me loud and clear: I don’t support biological men playing women’s sports and I don’t support – and haven’t ever performed – gender surgery for minors.”

“Darline Graham lying about me won’t do a thing to help you,” Andrews concluded.

Take a look…

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#SCSEN: Annie Andrews goes direct-to-camera on trans issues https://t.co/DcNwPxXZSS

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) October 8, 2026

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As Andrews’ new ad was hitting the airwaves, though, prior statements from the candidate which contradicted its core message were being thrown back in her face.

“This is shameful legislation that does nothing to protect or support women or children in South Carolina,” Andrews wrote in May of 2022 after the S.C. General Assembly approved legislation outlawing the participation of biological males in women’s high school sports. “In fact, it is actively harmful.”

“I will always protect trans youth,” Andrews added in the since-deleted post.

Another since-deleted post referred to legislation keeping men out of women’s sports as being “dangerous for trans youth,” a description she also applied to a proposed gender reassignment prevention act.

Advocates for women’s sports – including swimmer Riley Gaines – blasted Andrews for her hypocrisy.

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.@AnnieAndrewsMD this you? In your own words, you called the South Carolina Save Women’s Sports Act “shameful” in 2022. Don’t do a 180 now to pander to voters. You have always supported the transgender mental illness, even in your role as a pediatrician. Now that’s SHAMEFUL. https://t.co/JVoW5AElR4

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 8, 2026

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“Don’t do a 180 now to pander to voters,” Gaines wrote on X. “You have always supported the transgender mental illness, even in your role as a pediatrician.”

Eager to exploit the opening, Nordone also called Andrews out, offering up the obligatory “bless your heart” – a classic southern clap-back – in her statement.

“It’s sad that you think you can lie to the people of South Carolina and get away with it,” Nordone wrote on X. “Especially when you’re asking them to send you to the U.S. Senate. You vehemently opposed the ‘Help Not Harm Act’ which banned gender-transition surgeries and puberty blockers for minors. When lawmakers moved to keep biological men out of girls’ sports, you called the legislation ‘shameful.’

“Thankfully, the internet lives forever,” Nordone continued. “And we have the receipts.”

Nordone, sister of the late U.S. senator Lindsey Graham, has struggled to unify her party ahead of next month’s general election in South Carolina. In fact, the liberal state bureaucrat is facing an active insurrection on her right flank from supporters of conservative congressman Ralph Norman, whom she narrowly defeated in a special GOP primary runoff in late August.

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With the robust ‘Write-in Ralph‘ movement siphoning votes from the right – and Andrews deftly outflanking her on fiscal issues among centrist voters – Nordone has seen her standing in the polls deteriorate. That’s prompted national interests to dump millions of dollars into the Palmetto State on her behalf, running ads zeroing in on Andresws’ left-of-center social views.

While Andrews clearly felt compelled to respond to the attacks from Nordone supporters, it’s hard to see this exchange working out in her favor. In fact, Andrews’ ad – and the brutal callouts issued in response to it – are the first real positive developments Nordone has seen in weeks in this race.

“Conservatives contemplating writing in Ralph Norman’s name – or sitting out (the race) entirely – will now be forced to think long and hard about what those choices entail,” a veteran GOP strategist following the race told us. “It’s a bad prognosis for the doctor – but just what the doctor ordered for Darline.”

Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we continue to track the latest developments in this race ahead of election day (Tuesday, November 3, 2026).

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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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