by WILL FOLKS
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Interim U.S. senator Darline Graham Nordone shed her husband’s name when she launched her political career earlier this year… but she’s having a much tougher time shedding his baggage.
This week, Nordone’s main challenger in next month’s election – pediatrician Annie Andrews – called on the Republican nominee to “immediately cut her family’s business ties to China and recuse herself from Senate votes involving trade with China or policy toward the Chinese military.”
Andrews’ challenge came days after reporters from The Washington Post revealed Nordone’s husband – Larry Nordone – occupied “management roles in two companies that rely on Chinese manufacturing.” Not only that, Nordone is “an executive at a company connected to Chinese weapons manufacturing — a position omitted from Graham’s financial disclosures,” according to Andrews’ campaign.
“The investigation also found that after reporters began asking questions, the Chinese manufacturer connected to her husband’s company removed references to its Chinese military connections from its website,” Andrews’ campaign noted in its release.
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Annie Andrews demands Darline Graham cut her family’s business ties to China: "It’s inappropriate for a senator to profit from business with China. It’s even worse to conceal those ties from the public." https://t.co/0urELmaCLF
— FactPost (@factpostnews) October 14, 2026
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That’s consistent with the Post‘s reporting that one company “wiped mentions” from its website after being contacted for comment. Specifically, two sites connected to the inquiries “were then taken down and replaced with a notice to users that the sites (were) undergoing maintenance.” One of the sites subsequently “reappeared days later” with references to the military connections removed.
The lack of transparency – whether related to Nordone’s disclosures or the corporate websites – was a central thrust of Andrews’ rebuke of her “Republican” rival.
“It’s inappropriate for a senator to profit from business with China,” Andrews said. “It’s even worse to conceal those ties from the public. National security isn’t an elective when you’re a United States senator. And financial transparency isn’t optional, either. Darline Graham needs to cut her family’s business ties to China, recuse herself from Senate votes involving China, and come clean with South Carolinians. This seat belongs to the people of South Carolina — not Washington insiders, special interests, or foreign interests in China.”
“South Carolinians shouldn’t have to wonder whether their senator is making decisions in the best interests of our country or her family’s bottom line,” Andrews added. “Darline Graham needs to stop sending spokespeople out to answer questions for her and start answering them herself.”
Nordone did answer Andrews directly – at least on social media.
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RELATED | DEBATE? OR GRUDGE MATCH?
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“Bless your heart,” she wrote on X. “Resorting to weak attacks on my family. This was asked and answered in the debate. The company my husband works for sells toys for children. He doesn’t own the company nor does he have any equity stake. Now, Annie, tell us why you continue to talk about being a pediatrician when your own financial disclosure states you made more money last year being a gun control activist. Why isn’t that in your ads?”
Nordone’s allies have been hammering Andrews relentlessly for weeks – dumping millions of dollars into their campaign to keep this seat in “Republican” hands. That effort is proving far more difficult than expected, however, for a variety of reasons.
First, Nordone is running in a midterm election – when the nation’s political pendulum historically swings toward the party not occupying the White House. Also, the current occupant of the White House is tremendously unpopular, dragging down support for his party’s candidates even further than normal.
Second, South Carolina – while still a reliably “Republican” state – is experiencing significant demographic shifts that have the potential to make statewide races much more competitive in the future. No Democrat has won a statewide race since 2006 – and no Democrat has won a top-of-the-ticket race since 1998 – but recent polling shows Andrews within striking distance of a historic upset.
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Most significantly, though, a long-simmering battle between movement conservatives on the right and left-leaning establishment Republicans in the “center” has boiled over in this election. That movement has manifested itself in the form of the ‘Write-In Ralph‘ campaign, a surprisingly robust movement to write in the name of conservative U.S. congressman Ralph Norman on the November ballot.
Norman was narrowly defeated by Nordone in a special primary election in August after the same special interests now attempting to eviscerate Andrews unloaded on him with both barrels blazing. Those attacks – and U.S. president Donald Trump‘s perpetual meddling in the race – have done seemingly irreparable damage to Nordone’s right flank.
“Polls showing other Republicans with double digit leads have her tied – or just barely ahead – of Annie Andrews,” one veteran GOP operative told us. “She is a historically unpopular Republican nominee.”
Andrews, Nordone, Libertarian Kasie Whitener, Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett and a handful of other minor party candidates are on the ballot next month for this seat, which was held by the late Lindsey Graham from 2003 until his untimely death in July of this year.
Early voting ahead of the November 3, 2026 election is set to begin next Monday (October 19, 2026). Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we approach this critical Crossroads 2026 election.
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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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