House Republican calls South Carolina Senate race 'embarrassing'

A House Republican called the competitive Senate race in South Carolina "embarrassing" and said incumbent Sen. Darline Graham (R) is hurting the party's ticket, according to an exchange posted Thursday by NewsNation senior congressional correspondent Joe Khalil on the social platform X ¹.

The member spoke anonymously. The lawmaker wrote that "Republicans won this seat by 18 points" and that "the fact it's this close and the speaker has to come to SC 1 to drag the R across the finish line is embarrassing" ¹.

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A tied race in a state that has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1998

Graham faces Democrat Annie Andrews. A recent New York Times/Siena University poll showed both candidates at 48 percent support among likely voters ¹. South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the upper chamber of Congress since 1998 ¹.

Nonpartisan election forecaster Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) leans in favor of Graham, giving her a 65 percent chance of winning the race ¹.

From Channel GOPAndrews: $1,900 in diesel lasts three daysAnnie Andrews · 189 plays · captioned, with the source named

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is expected to campaign in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, according to local news station WCSC ¹. President Trump recently made his third and final trip to South Carolina to boost support for Graham's Senate bid ¹.

Graham was appointed to the seat by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) following the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) ¹.

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The anonymous member also wrote that "the only saving grace is that the governors race is where it should be" ¹. In the state's gubernatorial race, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) has a 74 percent chance of winning against his Democratic opponent Jermaine Johnson, according to DDHQ ¹.

Why it matters

That matters because the complaint comes from inside the Republican caucus, not from Democrats, and it lands four days before the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election ¹. The pattern is a party publicly defending a seat it once won easily while a member privately calls the contest a drag on the rest of the ballot ¹.

The Senate majority is at stake in races like this one. The wire copy does not say which party would control the chamber if Graham loses, and this brief does not either.

The Record

1. Oct 29, 2026A House Republican's anonymous exchange calling the South Carolina Senate race "embarrassing" is posted by NewsNation correspondent Joe Khalil on X ¹.
2. Oct 30, 2026The Hill reports the anonymous member's comments and the tied 48-48 New York Times/Siena poll in the Graham-Andrews race ¹.

Sources

1. The Hill, “GOP House member on 'embarrassing' South Carolina prospects: 'Darline is dragging Rs'” (2026-10-30). thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6184277-gop-rep-calls-south-ca
2. CBS News, “Live Updates: Trump campaigns in South Carolina and more” (2026-10-29). cbsnews.com/live-updates/2026-elections-midtems-house-senate

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