# Annie Andrews (physician)
**Annie Andrews** is an American pediatrician from [Charleston, South Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/charleston-south-carolina), and the Democratic nominee for the [United States Senate](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-senate) in [South Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-carolina) in the 2026 election. She spent roughly two decades in children's hospitals, including about 15 years as a pediatric hospitalist at the Medical University of South Carolina, before entering politics, losing a 2022 congressional race to Representative Nancy Mace and then launching a 2025 Senate campaign against Lindsey Graham.[1](https://apnews.com/article/26ae12355e9e5d1a44047bcbb6cdc36c) • [2](https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/andrews-internal-poll-shows-tie-221650191.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Profession | Pediatrician; pediatric hospitalist at the Medical University of South Carolina for about 15 years[2](https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/andrews-internal-poll-shows-tie-221650191.html) |
| Education | B.S. in Pre-Medicine, University of Dayton; M.D., University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; pediatric residency, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; M.S. in Clinical Research, Medical University of South Carolina[3](https://fortmilltegacaytimes.com/articles/annie-andrews-seeks-u-s-senate-seat-in-south-carolina-muvcgcdp) |
| 2022 race | Democratic nominee for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, losing to Republican Nancy Mace by 14 percentage points[1](https://apnews.com/article/26ae12355e9e5d1a44047bcbb6cdc36c) |
| 2026 primary | Won the Democratic Senate primary on June 9, 2026, against Brandon Brown and Kyle Freeman[4](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/annie-andrews-lindsey-graham-november-election) |
| General election | Faces Republican Senator Darline Graham, Libertarian Kasie Whitener, and Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett on November 3, 2026[3](https://fortmilltegacaytimes.com/articles/annie-andrews-seeks-u-s-senate-seat-in-south-carolina-muvcgcdp) |
| Fundraising | Campaign surpassed $5 million raised, built on a grassroots donor base centered on affordability and health care[5](https://drannieandrews.com/dr-annie-andrews-surpasses-5-million-raised-in-u-s-senate-campaign/) |
| Personal life | Mother of three children in Charleston public schools; does not accept corporate PAC contributions[6](https://drannieandrews.com/about/) |
## Early life and medical career
Andrews was born in Kentucky and grew up in [Indianapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis), Indiana.[4](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/annie-andrews-lindsey-graham-november-election) She earned a [Bachelor of Science](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-science) in Pre-Medicine at the [University of Dayton](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-dayton), a medical degree at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and completed her pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.[3](https://fortmilltegacaytimes.com/articles/annie-andrews-seeks-u-s-senate-seat-in-south-carolina-muvcgcdp) After her medical training she moved to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, to work as a pediatric hospitalist at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she also completed a master's degree in clinical research.[4](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/annie-andrews-lindsey-graham-november-election) News accounts describe her as a pediatrician for about 20 years, with roughly 15 of those at the Charleston children's hospital.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/31/annie-andrews-south-carolina-senate) • [2](https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/andrews-internal-poll-shows-tie-221650191.html)
**Path into politics.** According to an alumni profile at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the 2018 shooting at [Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/marjory-stoneman-douglas-high-school) in [Parkland, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/parkland-florida) was a turning point for Andrews, then a mother of three.[4](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/annie-andrews-lindsey-graham-november-election) In 2022 she ran as the Democratic nominee for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District against Republican incumbent [Nancy Mace](https://www.edgepedia.org/nancy-mace) and lost by 14 percentage points.[1](https://apnews.com/article/26ae12355e9e5d1a44047bcbb6cdc36c) After that defeat she stepped away from her MUSC practice and founded a political organization focused on the climate crisis, gun violence, and childhood poverty; in April 2023 she launched a children-focused political committee, Their Future PAC, backed by the founder of Moms Demand Action.[8](https://rollcall.com/2023/04/17/pediatrician-launches-new-pac-focused-on-children/) • [9](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/26/south-carolina-democrat-lindsey-graham-senate-seat)
## 2026 Senate campaign
**Announcement and primary.** Andrews announced her Senate campaign in May 2025, challenging the four-term incumbent [Lindsey Graham](https://www.edgepedia.org/lindsey-graham), whom she criticized for what she characterized as waffling positions over his career.[1](https://apnews.com/article/26ae12355e9e5d1a44047bcbb6cdc36c) She later said she had no intention of running again after 2022 but changed her mind after watching [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-f-kennedy-jr) rise to the top of the Department of Health and Human Services, calling the nomination "the worst-case scenario for America's public health system" from a pediatrician's standpoint.[10](https://www.theatlantic.com/science/2025/11/scientists-politicans/684853/) • [9](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/26/south-carolina-democrat-lindsey-graham-senate-seat) She won the Democratic primary on June 9, 2026, defeating business owner Brandon Brown and Kyle Freeman.[4](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/annie-andrews-lindsey-graham-november-election)
**Graham's death and the changed race.** Lindsey Graham, who had won the June primary while seeking a fifth Senate term, died suddenly on July 11, 2026.[11](https://apnews.com/article/0081ef5fd2c7b5b54141bc52d52509d4) Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham's sister, [Darline Graham](https://www.edgepedia.org/darline-graham), to serve until the term expires in January 2027, and she won the Republican special primary runoff in August with support from President Donald Trump.[12](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/annie-andrews-interview-james-carville) • [7](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/31/annie-andrews-south-carolina-senate) Andrews said her "mission remains the same" despite the change of opponent.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/26/south-carolina-democrat-lindsey-graham-senate-seat)
**Race dynamics.** The race has appeared to become unexpectedly close in the weeks before the midterms.[11](https://apnews.com/article/0081ef5fd2c7b5b54141bc52d52509d4) An internal poll released by the Andrews campaign in September 2026, conducted by Impact Research among 700 likely voters from August 18 to 24 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points, put Andrews and Darline Graham at 41% each, with Libertarian Kasie Whitener at 5% and 13% undecided; after positive biographical descriptions of both candidates, Andrews led 44% to 39%.[2](https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/andrews-internal-poll-shows-tie-221650191.html) The Senate Leadership Fund super PAC planned to spend $5 million to shore up the Republican seat.[13](https://www.axios.com/2026/10/06/south-carolina-senate-gop-graham-money) The two candidates met in their only debate on October 11, three weeks before the general election, sparring over Iran, the economy, and artificial intelligence.[11](https://apnews.com/article/0081ef5fd2c7b5b54141bc52d52509d4)
## Campaign positions
Andrews centers her campaign on health care access and affordability, public education, and reducing gun violence, and she does not accept corporate PAC contributions.[6](https://drannieandrews.com/about/) • [14](https://electandrews.org/) She advocates protecting and expanding access to health care, defending Medicare and Medicaid, lowering prescription drug costs through federal negotiating power, and gradually introducing a public option, along with stronger vaccine access, mental-health access, and support for rural hospitals.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/26/south-carolina-democrat-lindsey-graham-senate-seat) • [15](https://centristindependentvoter.com/south-carolina-u-s-senate-2026-annie-andrews-endorsement/) On government structure she has proposed ending partisan gerrymandering, term limits, banning members of Congress from trading stocks or becoming lobbyists, and overturning the Citizens United ruling.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/26/south-carolina-democrat-lindsey-graham-senate-seat) She has also said Congress should have to approve the use of military force.[15](https://centristindependentvoter.com/south-carolina-u-s-senate-2026-annie-andrews-endorsement/)
**Public health emphasis.** Andrews has made public health and science a central campaign theme, highlighting the importance of vaccines as measles spread through South Carolina, and 314 Action, a political action fund devoted to electing scientists and doctors, has backed her.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/31/annie-andrews-south-carolina-senate) She has described caring for children wounded by gun violence and argued that such injuries are preventable policy outcomes, supporting measures such as universal background checks.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/26/south-carolina-democrat-lindsey-graham-senate-seat)
## Context and prospects
South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to statewide office easily; Republicans in recent history typically take statewide seats by double-digit margins, and in 2020 [Jaime Harrison](https://www.edgepedia.org/jaime-harrison) raised nearly $133 million, more than any Senate campaign in history at the time, yet lost to Lindsey Graham by more than 10 points.[1](https://apnews.com/article/26ae12355e9e5d1a44047bcbb6cdc36c) • [12](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/annie-andrews-interview-james-carville) The Cook Political Report moved the 2026 race from "Solid Republican" to "Likely Republican" as the contest tightened.[16](https://peoplecabal.com/dr-annie-andrews-biography/) Her endorsements include EMILYs List and the AFL-CIO.[3](https://fortmilltegacaytimes.com/articles/annie-andrews-seeks-u-s-senate-seat-in-south-carolina-muvcgcdp) Andrews has pitched herself as an outsider running a campaign "powered by people, not PACs," and says she is not a career politician but a pediatrician and mother of three.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/26/south-carolina-democrat-lindsey-graham-senate-seat) • [3](https://fortmilltegacaytimes.com/articles/annie-andrews-seeks-u-s-senate-seat-in-south-carolina-muvcgcdp)
## References
1. [Sen. Lindsey Graham gets a 2026 challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews, who ran against Nancy Mace, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/26ae12355e9e5d1a44047bcbb6cdc36c)
2. [Andrews Internal Poll Shows Tie With Sen. Graham, via Yahoo News](https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/andrews-internal-poll-shows-tie-221650191.html)
3. [Annie Andrews seeks U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina, Fort Mill-Tega Cay Times](https://fortmilltegacaytimes.com/articles/annie-andrews-seeks-u-s-senate-seat-in-south-carolina-muvcgcdp)
4. [Who is Annie Andrews, the Democratic Contender for Lindsey Graham's Former Senate Seat?, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/annie-andrews-lindsey-graham-november-election)
5. [Dr. Annie Andrews Surpasses $5 Million Raised in U.S. Senate Campaign](https://drannieandrews.com/dr-annie-andrews-surpasses-5-million-raised-in-u-s-senate-campaign/)
6. [About, Dr. Annie Andrews for Senate](https://drannieandrews.com/about/)
7. [A pediatrician is running for Senate. Can doctors change the political debate over health and science?, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/31/annie-andrews-south-carolina-senate)
8. [Pediatrician launches new PAC focused on children, Roll Call](https://rollcall.com/2023/04/17/pediatrician-launches-new-pac-focused-on-children/)
9. [Meet the South Carolina Democrat looking to flip Lindsey Graham's Senate seat, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/26/south-carolina-democrat-lindsey-graham-senate-seat)
10. [The Epidemiologists Are Running for Office, The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/science/2025/11/scientists-politicans/684853/)
11. [Feud spills onto South Carolina debate stage as Darline Graham, Annie Andrews snipe in Senate race, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/0081ef5fd2c7b5b54141bc52d52509d4)
12. [Lindsey Graham's Death Has Reshaped Annie Andrews' Campaign. Does the Democrat Stand a Chance?, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/annie-andrews-interview-james-carville)
13. [Scoop: Senate GOP to send $5m to shore up Graham in South Carolina, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/10/06/south-carolina-senate-gop-graham-money)
14. [Annie Andrews for U.S. Senate campaign site](https://electandrews.org/)
15. [South Carolina Senate 2026: CIVPAC Provisionally Endorses Annie Andrews, Centrist Independent Voter](https://centristindependentvoter.com/south-carolina-u-s-senate-2026-annie-andrews-endorsement/)
16. [Dr Annie Andrews Biography: Age, Husband, Campaign and Polls, PeopleCabal](https://peoplecabal.com/dr-annie-andrews-biography/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Politicians and government officeholders (biographies) › US candidates for federal and statewide office › Candidates for the US Senate*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 27, 2026; Sep 29, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 27, 2026; Sep 29, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license