Annie Andrews wins South Carolina primary, sets Graham matchup

Annie Andrews won South Carolina's Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, and CBS News projected she will face Sen. Lindsey Graham in November. Andrews, a pediatrician, framed her campaign as an underdog bid after losing to Republican Rep. Nancy Mace two years ago.

Her victory gives Democrats a nominee in a state where no Democrat has won statewide office since 2000. Graham has held South Carolina's Senate seat since 2003, and CBS News had not yet projected a winner in the Republican primary when Andrews secured her race.

Annie Andrews and Lindsey Graham

In March, CBS News asked Andrews why she would run against those odds. She said, "So I don't mind being an underdog," and added, "I am a fighter."

She also said, "And it is clear to me that people in South Carolina are ready for something different." Andrews then sharpened her attack on Graham, saying, "Lindsey Graham is a career, corrupt, cowardly politician." She added, "He's been our senator for 23 years now," and said, "And people understand that he really has abandoned South Carolinians."

South Carolina Senate race

Graham defeated Democrat Jaime Harrison by 10 points in 2000, the same year South Carolina last elected a Democrat to statewide office. That history leaves Andrews facing a long record of Republican success in the state as she prepares for the general election.

Brown, who also spoke to WCSC, said, "I don't see Senator Graham as a powerhouse anything," and added, "We have to have a candidate who's going to be arguing every day for the interest of South Carolinians and putting South Carolinians first, serving purpose, not power."

Andrews now moves from a primary win into a race that will test whether Democrats can turn a state-level losing streak into a Senate opening. The immediate question is whether her underdog message can carry past June 9 and into November against Graham.