Sen. Darline Graham’s Lead Shrinks as Annie Andrews Moves Within 1.1 Points

Sen. Darline Graham’s percentage points ahead of Democratic challenger Annie Andrews in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, creating fresh suspense around a contest that has drawn increased attention ahead of the November 3 election. The survey, conducted September 23–25 among 1,087 likely voters, put Sen. Darline Graham at 43.4% and Andrews at 42.3%, with 5.9% supporting another candidate and 8.5% undecided. The poll’s margin of error is approximately ±2.9 percentage points.

Sen. Darline Graham Faces a Narrow Polling Gap

Sen. Darline Graham entered the general election after winning the Republican nomination in an August 25 runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman. She had been appointed to serve the remaining portion of her late brother Lindsey Graham’s Senate term and subsequently decided to seek a full term. President Donald J. Trump endorsed her campaign and campaigned for her before the Republican runoff.

Now, Sen. Darline Graham is facing Annie Andrews, a Democratic pediatrician who won her party’s nomination. Previous public surveys have also shown a relatively narrow contest, although the precise margins have varied. An InsiderAdvantage poll earlier in September showed Graham ahead by two points, while a Rasmussen survey had the Republican senator five points ahead. The different results demonstrate why individual polls should be treated as snapshots rather than definitive measurements of the eventual result.

Sen. Darline Graham and the 1.1-Point Mystery

For Sen. Darline Graham, the latest Trafalgar numbers leave little room for anyone to treat the 1.1-point difference as a clear statistical separation. The margin between the candidates is smaller than the survey’s ±2.9-point margin of error. In simple terms, the poll shows a very close contest, but it does not establish what the final election result will be.

The campaign has already produced another date for political watchers to mark. Sen. Darline Graham and Andrews have agreed to face one another in a televised debate on October 11 in Columbia, giving voters an opportunity to see both candidates address the issues directly before Election Day. Graham said she accepted the debate challenge, while Andrews said voters should have the opportunity to compare the candidates for themselves.

For Sen. Darline Graham, the latest poll adds another twist to an already unusual Senate contest. Her narrow lead remains a polling figure rather than an election result, while Andrews remains within striking distance in the Trafalgar survey and a sizeable group of respondents has not committed to either major candidate. With the October debate approaching and Election Day still ahead, OGM News will continue monitoring the numbers, campaign developments and the next major update from South Carolina.