South Carolina voters have elected Democrat Annie Andrews to the U.S. Senate, giving the state its first Democratic senator in 28 years and sending a supporter of full marijuana legalization to Congress.
Andrews, a pediatrician, defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham in Tuesday’s election. Graham was appointed to the Senate in July following the death of her brother, longtime Senator Lindsey Graham, and subsequently won the Republican nomination to seek a full six-year term.
The victory marks the first time since 1998 that South Carolina voters have elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate. Andrews also becomes the first woman elected to represent the state in the chamber, following Graham’s brief tenure as its first appointed female senator.
Andrews has been particularly direct about her position on marijuana reform. In a candidate questionnaire published by NORML, she stated, “I support full legalization as a criminal justice issue.”
She argued that marijuana prohibition has disproportionately harmed young people, particularly Black and Brown men, and that ending prohibition would address longstanding disparities in the criminal justice system. She also expressed support for a regulated marijuana market, saying legalization and regulation would provide a safer framework for purchasing and consuming marijuana.
Beyond recreational legalization, Andrews supports decriminalizing marijuana possession and expunging past convictions. She has argued that nonviolent marijuana offenses should not permanently affect someone’s future, particularly when enforcement has disproportionately affected minority communities.
Her support extends to medical marijuana access. Drawing on her background as a physician, Andrews has said patients should be allowed to access marijuana for medical purposes when needed.
Andrews’ positions contrast with those of Graham, whose stance on broader federal marijuana legalization remained unclear during the campaign. NORML’s 2026 congressional voter guide identified Andrews as a supporter of recreational legalization and medical access, while noting that Graham had voted to delay federal restrictions on hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
The election also carries significance for South Carolina, where recreational marijuana remains illegal and lawmakers have repeatedly considered, but not enacted, broader medical marijuana legislation. Andrews’ election does not directly change state law, but it gives South Carolina a U.S. senator who has publicly supported ending marijuana prohibition.
Nationally, Andrews will enter Congress as lawmakers continue debating federal marijuana legalization, banking restrictions, hemp regulations and changes to marijuana’s classification under the Controlled Substances Act.
