October 12, 2026
CIVPAC has changed its endorsement of Annie Andrews for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina from provisional to full following the October 11 candidate debate and new developments concerning U.S. sanctions against Russia.
Our original endorsement was provisional in part because we wanted additional evidence about Senator Darline Graham’s willingness to exercise independent judgment when she disagreed with President Trump, particularly on foreign policy.
That question became more immediate following Trump’s October 9 agreement to relax sanctions on Russian diesel exports. A bipartisan group of seven senators, including four Republicans, called for reversing the decision. The agreement is unlikely to have a significant effect on U.S. diesel prices, but it could provide substantial revenue to Russia while it continues its war against Ukraine.
During the October 11 debate, Graham did not join that criticism. Instead, she emphasized the sanctions legislation she had helped enact while leaving its implementation to the president’s discretion. The Washington Post also reported that she praised Trump’s diesel-policy change.
We continue to credit Graham for her work on the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. Nevertheless, her response to this particular decision adds to our previously expressed concerns about congressional independence.
CIVPAC has therefore removed the provisional qualification from its endorsement of Annie Andrews. Our reservations about aspects of Andrews’s domestic agenda and our unanswered questions concerning her broader foreign-policy views remain unchanged.
Readers can review our complete South Carolina Senate evaluation and our 2026 U.S. Senate endorsements.