President Donald Trump traveled to South Carolina on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, to campaign for Republican Senator Darline Graham in a competitive Senate race. The visit included a rally at the T. Ed Garrison Arena in Pendleton. Graham is running about even in polls against her Democratic challenger, Annie Andrews, a pediatrician.
The race follows the July death of Graham’s brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away from a heart ailment. After his death, Trump backed Darline Graham to take over the seat and endorsed her for a full six-year term. The current election is taking place in a state Trump won by nearly 18 percentage points in 2024, but which analysts now rate as likely or leaning Republican.
The campaign event occurred amid policy differences between the president and the senator regarding Russia. Last week, Trump waived sanctions on Russia that Lindsey Graham had previously championed. While Graham generally supports Trump, she told the Associated Press on Saturday, October 17, that she disagreed with the waiver, stating, “Personally, I would choose to put the pressure on Russia to end the war and get gas prices down." Trump, meanwhile, said on Tuesday, October 20, that "Ukraine has to want to settle this war" and urged President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to "make a deal."
The scale of the contest is reflected in heavy campaign spending, with outside Republican groups spending $9.7 million in South Carolina since October 1. By comparison, those same groups spent $240,000 in neighboring North Carolina during the same period.
Voters in the state are already participating through early voting. The result will impact federal policies on gas prices and international sanctions, which have been points of debate during the campaign. Success for the Republican party relies on base turnout, which Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) identified as critical, noting that "if there's apathy from the base... Republicans don't win."