Dr Annie Andrews learned of Lindsey Graham's death while dropping her daughter at summer camp. The pediatrician had been building a campaign to unseat the Republican senator, who defined South Carolina politics for a generation. "It was shocking and unbelievable," she recalled. "It's a profound moment for the whole state of South Carolina."
Campaign Shifts After Senator's Death
For over a year, Andrews, a Democrat, had been running a grassroots campaign against Graham. The 45-year-old pediatrician positioned herself as an outsider powered by people, not PACs. Now, rather than facing Graham, she will compete against his sister Darline, who was appointed to serve out his term and will face a primary next month.
Despite the change, Andrews remains focused. "The problems that South Carolinians are facing did not change over that weekend," she said. "My opponent will change but my mission remains the same."
A Pediatrician's Motivations
Andrews spent two decades on the frontlines of America's "broken" public healthcare system, including 15 years at a children's hospital in Charleston. That experience drove her into politics. She said she realized that the problems her patients faced were policy problems requiring systemic solutions.
Her first congressional run in 2022 against Republican Nancy Mace ended in a 14-point defeat. After that, she founded a political organization focused on climate, gun violence, and childhood poverty. The darkness of Trump's second term, especially the nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead Health and Human Services, pulled her back into the race.
"As a pediatrician, that's the worst-case scenario for America's public health system," Andrews said of Kennedy's nomination. She noted that vaccine skepticism has led to a resurgence of measles, with cases hitting a 35-year high, and over 90% of infections among unvaccinated individuals.
Concerns Over Health Policy
Andrews expressed alarm over the anti-science movement entrenched in the Republican party, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. She warned that the Trump administration's Medicaid cuts threaten rural South Carolinians. She advocates for defending Medicare, lowering drug costs, and introducing a public option to force private insurers to offer better plans.
Gun violence is another public health emergency for Andrews, who has cared for children with bullet holes. She noted that it is the leading cause of death for kids in South Carolina and that over 90% of Americans support universal background checks.
Broader Political Concerns
Andrews views Trump's second term with alarm, citing high gas and grocery prices, an affordability crisis in housing and childcare, and unemployment. She proposes ending partisan gerrymandering, implementing term limits, banning stock trading for members of Congress, and overturning Citizens United to reduce dark money.
Despite the structural disadvantage in deep-red South Carolina, Andrews has built a statewide campaign with over 2,000 volunteers and gained the endorsement of Her Bold Move. She acknowledges the uphill battle but insists it remains important. "Everyone on both sides of the aisle recognizes that Washington DC is broken," she said.
