Trump will speak at South Carolina midterm rally for Sen. Darline Graham as early voting begins

President Donald Trump travels to South Carolina on Wednesday to rally behind Sen. Darline Graham, who is defending the seat she inherited when her brother, Lindsey Graham, died of an aortic tear in July. PBS NewsHour reports that her first run for office has been bumpy, giving Democrats a flicker of hope in a state Republicans have long controlled, though few of them sound confident.

Trump endorsed Darline Graham's appointment and her bid in a special primary, and he campaigned for her ahead of a runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman. She later conceded she was not well versed in national security after fumbling a Taiwan question. Tension also surfaced when Trump set aside Russia sanctions tied to a law bearing her brother's name. Pediatrician Annie Andrews, the Democratic nominee, calls Graham unqualified and campaigns on affordability. Republican attacks cast Andrews as extremely liberal and accuse her of backing surgeries for transgender youth, which she denies. More than $34 million has poured into the contest.

Andrews' backers believe she has a chance, even after Lindsey Graham beat Jaime Harrison by 10 points in 2020. Paul Davis of Aiken said a Democratic win could be "a cycle or two away."

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →