Who Will Win South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District House Seat

South Carolina Republicans returned to the polls Tuesday to pick a nominee for the Senate seat long held by the late Lindsey Graham, who died in July after winning renomination in June. Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to fill her brother's term and backed by President Trump and Sen. Tim Scott, faced Rep. Ralph Norman in a runoff after neither cleared a majority in the Aug. 11 primary; third-place finisher Rep. Russell Fry endorsed Graham. The winner faces Democrat Annie Andrews in the fall.

In Georgia's 13th Congressional District near Atlanta, Democrats Everton Blair and Marcye Scott, daughter of late Rep. David Scott, competed in a runoff to serve the remainder of Scott's term after topping a five-candidate field in July. Neither is seeking the full term beginning in 2027; that contest will pit Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Clark against Republican Jonathan Chavez in November. Both races drew attention as tests of turnout and party strength ahead of the 2026 midterms, now 70 days off.

Following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham on July 11, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham's sister, Darline, to fill the remainder of his term, with a special election expected to determine who holds the seat long-term. Darline Graham has kept a low public profile since being sworn in, while Democratic physician Annie Andrews has been actively campaigning across the traditionally Republican state.

South Carolina is deeply red, and GOP figures including Katon Dawson and Nancy Mace loom over the race's dynamics, with national Republicans expected to coalesce around a chosen successor. Democrats, who have struggled statewide despite past efforts from figures like Jaime Harrison, see an opening given the unusual circumstances of the vacancy and Andrews's visible campaign presence. The race is being watched as a test of whether shifting demographics and health care-focused messaging could make an otherwise safe Republican seat competitive, with implications for the Senate's partisan balance.

Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother charged with killing her three young children in January 2023, has drawn renewed national attention after a Plymouth Superior Court judge declared a mistrial earlier this month when jurors failed for a third time to reach a unanimous verdict. Prosecutors alleged Clancy deliberately planned the killings of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, while her defense argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.

The case has since become a flashpoint in national political discourse. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told TMZ that Clancy should face a "public execution," calling her a "serial killer" who deserves the death penalty. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, separately said the case had become a "cause celebre" tied to what he called "racial politics" and ideology around policing and immigration enforcement. Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, condemned Cruz's remarks as "despicable" and accused him of misunderstanding postpartum psychosis. President Trump called the case a "very sad situation" and noted any pardon request would be a state, not federal, matter.

Three men U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace named as "predators" in a 2025 House floor speech — financier John Douglas Osborne, her ex-fiancé Brendan Patrick Bryant, and former soccer club owner Eric Bernard Bowman — were arrested Oct. 14 in connection with the alleged 2018 sexual assault of an intoxicated woman on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. Osborne faces assault and criminal sexual conduct charges; Bryant is charged with voyeurism; Bowman is accused of voyeurism, obstructing justice and naming a sexual assault victim.

A fourth man Mace publicly branded a predator, Brian Musgrave, will not be charged. Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson wrote to the State Law Enforcement Division that "not a scintilla of evidence" supports Mace's allegations against him, warning her credibility would be undermined if called as a trial witness. Two other prosecutors who reviewed the probe similarly called her claims baseless. A federal judge dismissed Musgrave's defamation suit against Mace in August 2025, citing congressional immunity under the Westfall Act. Musgrave's attorney says Mace has never apologized.

South Carolina voters headed to the polls on Aug. 25 in a Republican runoff to determine who will hold the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to the seat by Gov. Henry McMaster after her brother's passing, faced Rep. Ralph Norman, a 7th District congressman known for clashing with House leadership. Neither candidate cleared 50 percent in the Aug. 11 primary, with Graham taking about 33 percent and Norman about 24 percent, triggering the runoff.

President Donald Trump endorsed Graham and campaigned for her in Myrtle Beach, framing the race as important to Republican midterm prospects. Graham drew criticism after saying "national security is not my thing" during an Aug. 18 debate, prompting rebukes from Norman and former Gov. Nikki Haley, though Trump defended her. Third-place finisher Rep. Russell Fry endorsed Graham, while fourth-place finisher Mark Sanford, a Trump critic, backed Norman. The winner is heavily favored in the general election against Democrat Andrews in the deep-red state.

A Senate financial disclosure shows South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews earned more from gun-control advocacy work than from practicing medicine. The pediatrician was paid by Everytown for Gun Safety's action and support funds, where she served as a senior adviser, alongside income from Children's National Medical Center and paid speeches to pediatric organizations. Andrews resigned her hospital post in 2023 to pursue political advocacy and later launched a PAC before entering the race to challenge for the Senate seat long held by Lindsey Graham. Her campaign platform includes universal background checks and restrictions on certain firearms, and she has drawn support tied to Michael Bloomberg's gun-control network.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker spent a day campaigning across South Carolina, headlining the state NAACP's annual convention and stumping for Democratic candidates including Senate nominee Annie Andrews and gubernatorial nominee Jermaine Johnson. Pritzker urged Democrats to be more combative toward President Trump and Republicans, saying the party has been "too dainty" and "too nice," and calling for a "team fight" posture ahead of the midterms.

Pritzker, who faces reelection in Illinois next month, declined to say whether he's running for president in 2028, framing the trip as support for down-ballot Democrats. Still, his appearance before Black voters in the first-in-the-nation primary state fueled speculation about his national ambitions. He also voiced concern that federal immigration enforcement could be used to intimidate voters in competitive states like South Carolina, and touted his financial support for Southern Democratic candidates, including a $1 million donation to Texas gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa.

The U.S. Coast Guard is making steady progress on a new 64-acre base in North Charleston, South Carolina, set to become its largest home port once complete. The project, which broke ground in early 2024, includes five major capital projects: rebuilding Piers November and Mike, and constructing an administrative building, a medical and dental clinic, an engineering complex, and housing. Pier November's reconstruction finished in October, while Pier Mike is expected by 2030 under a $116 million contract. Once finished, the piers could host 10 major cutters, up from the current five vessels. Local officials say the investment, following the 1996 closure of the Charleston Naval Base, could bring significant economic benefits to the region.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear campaigned across South Carolina's Orangeburg and Charleston counties on Oct. 2, stumping for local Democratic candidates while fueling speculation about a possible 2028 presidential bid. He framed his pitch around having won two elections as a Democratic governor in a heavily Republican state, arguing liberal candidates need not avoid contentious issues such as transgender rights or diversity policies to win. Beshear said he has vetoed anti-diversity, anti-abortion-rights and anti-LGBTQ+ bills in Kentucky and urged Democrats to spend most of their time on bread-and-butter issues like roads, schools and healthcare, while speaking about hot-button topics in plain language rather than "advocacy speak."

He also called for constitutional changes banning partisan redistricting, imposing congressional and Supreme Court term limits, and tightening campaign finance rules. Beshear's visit came as South Carolina Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Ro Khanna also campaigned in the state the same weekend, ahead of its first-in-the-nation status on the 2028 Democratic primary calendar.

Charleston County Council voted 5-3 on Aug. 27 to authorize the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) to use eminent domain to acquire six acres of the 180-acre Coastal Carolina Fair property along Highway 78. CARTA plans to build a park-and-ride lot there for its planned $625 million Lowcountry Rapid Transit bus system, and says the site is essential to securing $374 million in federal grant funding. The county had approved the move once before in April, but a judge ordered a revote in June. The Exchange Club, which owns the fairgrounds, has fought the taking since 2024, arguing it would cost the fair parking revenue and set a troubling precedent.

Council members with CARTA board ties voted in favor without recusing, prompting conflict-of-interest objections from Exchange Club representatives. One councilmember, running for Congress, abstained citing an exchange club membership. Opponents questioned whether the federal funding would materialize under the Trump administration. The fair, set to run Oct. 28, relies on the disputed lot for roughly 900 parking spaces.