A disquieting reality of human existence is that tragedy and opportunity exist in balance.
This is the reality Annie Andrews is navigating. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death on July 11 came in the middle of his reelection campaign for the seat he’d held since 2003.
And while Andrews said Graham’s death is “a profound tragedy,” she also acknowledged the kind of opportunity it presents to the Democrat as she looks to flip Graham’s seat to blue.
“This was unexpected and a profound tragedy,” she said. “But that doesn't change my mission for South Carolina. I would be doing a disservice to all of my supporters, my volunteers, all the children in South Carolina if I just abandoned my campaign because of this tragedy.”
The opportunity that Graham’s death opens for Andrews’ campaign centers on the fact that there are few names in American politics bigger than that of Lindsey Graham. By nearly all measures, Graham was expected to keep his job following the November election.
Now, without Graham’s name on the ballot, Andrews doesn’t have the hurdle of competing against a major player on the ballot.
“What this particular scenario has kind of opened up, if you want to say it like that,” said Kathryn Harvey, chairwoman of the Spartanburg County Democratic Party, “is that she's no longer running against a 20-year incumbent, which was potentially the highest of the hills.”
Harvey does not work on the Andrews campaign, but is a key ally in the Upstate, where Andrews has been putting in a lot of time to meet voters. She said Andrews needs to stay focused on a simple fact: that Graham’s death, though tragic, does not change the problems Democrats see in South Carolina.
“[It’s] a very fine line of being respectful and acknowledging the passing of your challenger, who was also an almost 25-year senator in the state of South Carolina, and then also reminding the good people of this state that there's still an opportunity to elect somebody that's going to fight for them,” Harvey said. “And I think [the Andrews campaign] have met that moment.”
So far, Andrews’ supporters are sticking with her. In York, voter Steve Love said that Andrews has a chance to step into the spotlight that Graham’s death has thrust upon her and to command the moment -- especially in the approximately six weeks between now and the day South Carolinians find out who will be their Republican choice.
The Republican party will hold a special election primary in August to find the party’s successor to Graham. So far, U.S. Reps Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace -- who both lost their bids to be the GOP’s candidate for governor this year -- and businessman Mark Lynch -- who lost his bid against Graham in this year’s Republican primary -- have expressed interest.
Love said, “If they're Republican, they scare me,” but also said that he doesn’t see any Republican in the race whom Andrews couldn’t beat. That said, he advised her to raise as much “money, money, money, money, money, money to try to offset” the amount of money that GOP supporters are likely to throw at Andrews as November nears.
The Andrews campaign suspended donations on Sunday out of respect for the news about Graham. On Wednesday, Andrews’ campaign director, Amanda McDougald Scott, said that since the weekend, the campaign has gotten “a significant boost” in funds.
For voters like Marinn Pierce, who works in Charlotte and lives in York County, it’s less about the money and all about sticking with character.
“ I want a candidate who I see is listening to people,” Pierce said. “ And that means compromise, that means talking to people, that means listening to people, that means making concessions sometimes when we don't want to. And ultimately, are you willing to show that you're willing to work for the best interest of our neighbors? All of them, not just a few, not just a handful.”
Pierce said she was impressed by Andrews’ statement on the passing of Sen. Graham, for acknowledging his humanity, despite their political differences. If Andrews doesn’t forget that, she said, she will win Pierce’s vote.
“ We are nuanced people who come with all of our own intricacies and flaws,” she said. “And naming that [she] didn't agree with him, and yet at the end of the day, he's a human being. I was, as a voter, pleased to hear that from her.”
