Election 2026: South Carolina Senate

South Carolina Republican Sen. Darline Graham narrowly leads Democratic challenger Annie Andrews in the contest for the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that, if the election were held today, 50% of Likely South Carolina voters would vote for Graham, while 47% would vote for Andrews. Six percent (6%) are not sure. In early October, Graham held a four-point lead, 49% to 45%. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

Darline Graham was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to fill her brother’s Senate seat after he died of a sudden heart attack in July; she won the GOP primary in August.

Eighty-six percent (86%) of Republicans would vote for Graham, as would eight percent (8%) of Democrats and 33% of voters not affiliated with either major party. Andrews is supported by 89% of Democrats, 10% of Republicans and 63% of unaffiliated voters.

(Not getting our eNewsletter? Sign up HERE. Already signed up? Try adding update@rasmussenreports.com to your contacts or whitelisting us. Still having trouble – email subscriptions@rasmussenreports.com. If it's in the news, it's in our polls).

Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,028 South Carolina Likely Voters was conducted on October 27-31, 2026 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Eighty-six percent (86%) of South Carolina Likely Voters say they’re excited about voting in the midterm elections, including 56% who are Very Excited. More Democrats (68%) than Republicans (52%) or unaffiliated voters (51%) are Very Excited to vote in the midterms.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) have taken advantage of early voting either in person (56%) or by mail (11%), while 31% are waiting to vote on Election Day. More Democrats (75%) than Republicans or unaffiliated voters (both 63%) have taken advantage of early voting.

The “gender gap” in the South Carolina Senate race is a net 30 points. Graham leads by a 17-point margin among men, while Andrews leads 55% to 42% among women voters. Men are more likely to say they’re Very Excited to vote in the midterms.

Graham is supported by 64% of whites, 15% of black voters, 35% of Hispanics and 43% of unaffiliated voters, while Andrews is favored by 33% of whites, 67% of black voters, 62% of Hispanics and 54% of other minorities. Black voters are most likely to have voted early in person.

Graham’s support is strongest among South Carolina voters in their 30s, while Andrews leads by eight points, 52% to 44% among those under 30. Those 65 and older are most likely to say they’re Very Excited to vote in the midterm elections.

Among those who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, 80% prefer Graham, while 90% of Kamala Harris voters support Andrews.

Democratic health official Amy Acton leads Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy in the election to be Ohio’s next governor. 

Ohio’s special election for a U.S. Senate seat is a tie between Incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted and former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. 

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as Platinum Members.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.