Annie Andrews

Annie Andrews
Andrews in 2026
United States Senator-elect
from South Carolina
Assuming office
January 3, 2027
SucceedingDarline Graham
Personal details
BornAnne Elizabeth Lintzenich
(1980-08-09) August 9, 1980 (age 46)
Paducah, Kentucky, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
Spouse
Charlie Andrews
​
​
(m. 2011; div. 2024)​
Children3
Education
Signature
WebsiteCampaign website
Andrews's voice
Andrews discussing her candidacy and campaign style
Recorded June 10, 2026

Annie Elizabeth Andrews (née Lintzenich; born August 9, 1980) is an American pediatrician and politician who is a United States senator-elect from South Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Andrews is the first woman elected to the Senate from South Carolina and the first Democrat to win a Senate election in South Carolina since 1998.

Born in Kentucky and raised in Indiana, Andrews received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Cincinnati. She was a pediatric hospitalist at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital and a professor of pediatric medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. She was the Democratic nominee for South Carolina's 1st congressional district in the 2022 election, losing to incumbent Representative Nancy Mace.

Andrews ran against incumbent Republican senator Lindsey Graham until his death on July 11, 2026. In the general election, in what was considered a major upset, she defeated his sister, Darline Graham, who was appointed to complete the remainder of his term. She will assume office on January 3, 2027.

Early life and education

Annie Elizabeth Lintzenich was born on August 9, 1980 in Paducah, Kentucky, and grew up in Indianapolis, where she graduated from Cathedral High School. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Dayton, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority. She went on to earn her master's degree in clinical research from the Medical University of South Carolina, and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Cincinnati. She also completed a master's degree in clinical research after starting work at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital.

Medical career

Andrews completed her medical residency in pediatrics in Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving to South Carolina's Lowcountry in 2009. She worked for 14 years at MUSC Children's Hospital in Charleston, as a pediatric hospitalist. She announced in September 2022, while running for Congress, that she was taking an unpaid leave "to protect myself and my colleagues". She resigned in June 2023.

As of mid-2025, Andrews worked part-time as a pediatrician in Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., but lived in Charleston.

2022 U.S. House of Representatives campaign

South Carolina's 1st congressional district (since 2023)

Andrews became interested in political activism after the Parkland high school shooting in 2018, which convinced her to join the gun safety advocacy group Moms Demand Action. She began doing clinical research into gun violence prevention to reduce the number of pediatric injuries from firearms. She described gun violence prevention as directly related to her work as a pediatrician. She announced her candidacy for South Carolina's 1st congressional district in November 2021; it was her first time running for political office. She won the Democratic nomination in June 2022 after running unopposed.

In September, Mace began running campaign ads accusing Andrews of engaging in "child abuse" by providing gender-affirming care and surgery to minors. In a statement, Andrews responded: "I knew politics would be ugly but I never thought I'd see the day when my own congresswoman would accuse me—a pediatrician for over a decade—of 'child abuse' […] I do not support gender-affirming surgery for anyone under 18—nor does my hospital perform those procedures. What I support is evidence-based medical care, with parental consent, for teens struggling with gender identity issues […] Her vicious and disgusting attacks against me and LGBTQ kids puts them at an increased risk of targeted attacks and self-harm behaviors." Andrews also said that because of the ads, she would begin taking unpaid leave from her job as a pediatrician at MUSC Children's Hospital and would increase her personal security while she considered legal action, citing threats made against doctors earlier that year, including a bomb threat against the Boston Children's Hospital.

In October, Andrews was endorsed by the editorial board of the Charleston City Paper.

Andrews lost the general election on November 8, receiving 42.5% of the vote to Mace's 56.5%. She called Mace to concede soon afterward, and Mace responded by thanking her for "stepping into the arena". Andrews said she was unsure where her political career would go next, but that her candidacy had encouraged more medical professionals to follow in her footsteps by running for elected office.

In April 2023, Andrews announced the creation of a PAC called "Their Future. Our Vote".

U.S. Senate

Elections

2026

Andrews's field office in Columbia, South Carolina

On May 29, 2025, Andrews announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in 2026, aiming to unseat incumbent Republican senator Lindsey Graham. She said she decided to run for Senate after President Donald Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health.

Andrews was endorsed by former Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison, who ran against Graham in 2020. She was also endorsed by the 314 Action Fund, EMILYs List, the JAC, and Vote Mama.

On June 9, 2026, Andrews won the Democratic nomination, and was expected to face Graham. On July 11, Graham died, and two days later, his sister, Darline, was appointed to serve the remainder of his term. On August 25, Darline Graham won the South Carolina Republican Party nomination in a special primary runoff. Andrews faced Graham, Constitution Party nominee Mark Hackett, Libertarian Kasie Whitener, and write-in candidate Catherine Fleming Bruce in the general election.

In an October 5, 2026, Truth Social post, Trump used anti-LGBT slurs against Andrews, calling her "Annie Trannie". Andrews is not transgender. The post was widely condemned. Several days after Trump's post, Andrews released an ad saying that she opposed "biological men playing women's sports" and would not allow "gender surgery for minors".

On November 3, Andrews won the general election, becoming the first woman to be elected to the Senate from South Carolina.

Political positions

Health insurance

In an October 28, 2026, interview, Andrews said:

I know as a pediatrician that prevention is actually a cost-effective approach to building a health care system. So the more folks who have access to primary care doctors for early diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the less our entire health care system is going to cost. My plan includes a public option, and a public option doesn't mean the government is paying for someone's health care. A public option means that you or I have the option to purchase an affordable public plan if we choose.

Medicare/Affordable Care Act

In an August 2026 interview on NewsNation, Andrews said she considered Medicare for All (single-payer healthcare) a policy from a few decades ago. She explained:

I'm a pragmatic person. When you work as a physician, you have to be a problem solver. You roll up your sleeves, you solve the problem in front of you, you work with whoever you need to work with, you don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

Her priorities on this issue are:

Reproductive health

On her campaign website, Andrews wrote:

These decisions belong to women and families, not to politicians. I'll fight to:

  • Restore the protections of Roe v. Wade
  • Guarantee access to contraception and infertility care
  • Expand maternal health services, especially in rural communities

No woman should have to leave her state or risk her life to get medical care.

Personal life

In 2011, Andrews married Charlie Andrews, a neurological critical care doctor at MUSC. They have three children. Andrews filed for divorce in August 2023, and it was finalized in 2024.

Notes

  1. ↑ During a 2026 campaign stop in Myrtle Beach, she said, "My number one priority is to stop the Medicaid budget cuts, because it'll be devastating to access to health care across the state. In South Carolina, rural life, those will close and also have a ripple effect on everyone in the health care system. And insurance premiums have already, in some cases, doubled and tripled..."

References

  1. ↑ "South Carolina U.S. Senate Election 2026 Live Results: Annie Andrews Wins". www.nbcnews.com. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  2. ↑ Haberman, Maggie; Epstein, Reid J.; Cohn, Nate; Oreskes, Benjamin; Goldmacher, Shane; Reynolds, Evan; Zhang, Christine; Haberman, Maggie; Soler, Caroline. "South Carolina U.S. Senate 2026: Live Midterm Election Results, Graham vs. Andrews". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Annie Andrews". JAC. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Brack, Andy (July 13, 2022). "Andrews embraces the science of decision-making". Charleston City Paper. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  5. ↑ Cathedral High School [@cathedralhighschool]; (November 4, 2026). "While we have been celebrating Cathedral women trailblazers on Fridays, this news is simply too big not to share today! Congratulations to Dr. Annie (Lintzenich) Andrews '98 on winning the U.S. Senate race in South Carolina!" – via Facebook.
  6. 1 2 Batey, Eve (July 12, 2026). "Who is Annie Andrews, the Democratic Contender for Lindsey Graham's Former Senate Seat?". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 12, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  7. ↑ Agrawal, Nina (April 18, 2026). "The Doctor Will Seek Your Vote Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 19, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Alumni Spotlight: Annie Andrews, MD" (Press release). Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Winter 2023. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Dr. Annie Andrews announces departure from MUSC". WCBD-TV. June 4, 2023. Archived from the original on May 31, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  10. ↑ Bustos, Joseph (May 29, 2025). "This SC pediatrician ran for Congress in 2022. Now she wants to oust Sen. Graham". The State. Archived from the original on May 30, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  11. ↑ Janssen, Emma (July 14, 2026). "She Wants to Win Lindsey Graham's Senate Seat—and Impeach RFK Jr". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Archived from the original on July 20, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  12. ↑ Renaud, Tim; Brams, Sophie (November 8, 2021). "Local pediatrician, Dr. Annie Andrews, to run for South Carolina's First Congressional District". WCBD-TV. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  13. ↑ Spence, Sam (November 8, 2021). "Mace gets Democratic challenger from MUSC pediatrician Annie Andrews". Charleston City Paper. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  14. ↑ "SC Primary: Who is on the ballot?". WYFF. June 13, 2022. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  15. ↑ Sophie, Brams (September 28, 2022). "Annie Andrews takes leave from MUSC amid political attacks". WCBD. Archived from the original on January 12, 2026. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  16. ↑ Dress, Brad (September 28, 2022). "Democratic candidate slams GOP's Nancy Mace for 'bigoted attacks'". The Hill. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Our View: Elect Dr. Annie Andrews to Congress". Charleston City Paper. October 19, 2022. Archived from the original on July 31, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  18. ↑ "South Carolina First Congressional District Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 19, 2025. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  19. ↑ Byrd, Caitlin (November 8, 2022). "Republican US Rep. Nancy Mace defeats Democrat Annie Andrews". Post and Courier. Archived from the original on May 24, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  20. ↑ Altimari, Daniela (April 17, 2023). "Pediatrician launches new PAC focused on children". Roll Call. Archived from the original on July 27, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  21. ↑ Byrd, Caitlin (April 17, 2023). "SC Democrat Annie Andrews launches PAC to elect candidates who will advocate for children". Post and Courier. Archived from the original on July 31, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  22. ↑ Chornobroff, Shaun (May 29, 2025). "Former MUSC pediatrician announces campaign to oust Lindsey Graham". SC Daily Gazette. Archived from the original on July 31, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  23. ↑ Kinnard, Meg (May 29, 2025). "Sen. Lindsey Graham gets a 2026 challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews, who ran against Nancy Mace". AP News. Archived from the original on June 8, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  24. ↑ Mazzei, Patricia (July 13, 2026). "Lindsey Graham's Death Transforms the Race for His Democratic Challenger". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Jaime Harrison Endorses Dr. Annie Andrews For U.S. Senate". The MinorityEye. June 4, 2025. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  26. ↑ "314 Action Fund Endorses Dr. Annie Andrews for U.S. Senate, as a Guardian of Public Health" (Press release). 3.14 Action. June 18, 2025. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  27. ↑ "EMILYs List Endorses Dr. Annie Andrews in South Carolina's U.S. Senate Race" (Press release). EMILYs List. Archived from the original on June 10, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Vote Mama PAC | Candidates" (Press release). Vote Mama PAC. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Dr. Annie Andrews wins Democratic nomination for U.S Senate". WCIV. June 10, 2026. Archived from the original on June 10, 2026. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Democrat Annie Andrews to face off against Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina, CBS News projects". CBS News. June 9, 2026. Archived from the original on August 26, 2026. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  31. ↑ Reagan, Nick (September 26, 2025). "Meet the candidate: Dr. Annie Andrews (for US Senate)". www.live5news.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  32. ↑ Shabad, Rebecca; Coronell Uribe, Raquel (July 13, 2026). "South Carolina governor appoints Lindsey Graham's sister to finish his Senate term". NBC News. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
  33. ↑ Davis, Maya; McWhirter, Cameron; LeVine, Marianne (August 26, 2026). "Trump Senate Pick Darline Graham Wins GOP Runoff in South Carolina". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 26, 2026. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  34. ↑ "United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2026". Ballotpedia. October 19, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  35. 1 2 "Trump faces bipartisan outrage after nicknaming South Carolina Democrat with anti-trans slur". al.com. October 6, 2026. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Trump uses anti-trans slur against Democratic Senate candidate in South Carolina". NBC News. October 5, 2026. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  37. ↑ Lee-Zogbessou, Jasmine (October 9, 2026). "Annie Andrews answers Trump's transphobic slur with ad rejecting trans-inclusivity". PinkNews. Archived from the original on October 9, 2026. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  38. ↑ Hubbard, Kaia (November 4, 2026). "Annie Andrews wins South Carolina 2026 Senate election, flipping seat for Democrats". CBS News. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  39. ↑ Grisales, Claudia; Schapitl, Lexie (November 3, 2026). "Democrat Annie Andrews wins South Carolina Senate race in major upset". NPR. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  40. ↑ "FULL INTERVIEW: Annie Andrews shares priorities for Senate ahead of Election Day". WISTV. WIS News 10. October 28, 2026. Retrieved October 30, 2026.
  41. ↑ "South Carolina Senate Democratic nominee: 'Medicare for All is a policy from a few decades ago'". The Hill.
  42. ↑ Dayen, David (October 8, 2026). "South Carolina Senate Hopeful Runs on Health Care Populism". The American Prospect. Archived from the original on October 13, 2026. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
  43. ↑ Payne, Livi. "US Senate candidate Dr. Annie Andrews discusses health care, rising costs at Myrtle Beach town hall".
  44. ↑ "Reproductive Freedom: Trust Women". Dr. Annie Andrews for Senate. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  45. ↑ Valeski, Lucy (October 19, 2026). "How much did Senate candidate Annie Andrews pay in taxes? Here's what returns show". The State. Retrieved November 3, 2026.