♪ Gavin Jackson> Welcome to "This Week in South Carolina" special report I'm Gavin Jackson.

We continue our ongoing coverage of Election 2026 and take you on the campaign trail this week with a specific look at the Democratic Party, the U.S.

Senate race that's now in full swing with the field officially being set, as well as national Democrats who have visited our state recently as they look to fire up supporters and attempt to make inroads in our deep red state.

Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright gives us his insight as well.

But first, we go on the campaign trail with Democratic U.S.

Senate nominee Dr.

Annie Andrews, who recently held several statewide stops as part of her "Gas, Grits and Groceries Tour".

Dr.

Annie Andrews won the Democratic U.S.

Senate nomination outright in the June primary.

Graham passed away from a heart condition a month later, leading the governor to appoint his sister Darline.

She then announced her own run and won the nomination following a difficult special primary and runoff on August 25th.

Despite the change of opponent, Andrews messaging remains focused on affordability, and her statewide seven stop tour laid out her plans to expand housing access, strengthen childcare, cut energy and grocery bills while dealing with data centers.

Dr.

Annie Andrews> What do we need to do to address health care affordability?

This country needs to use its negotiating power to broadly lower the cost of prescription drugs.

We need to reinstate the A.C.A.

tax subsidies so your premiums do not continue to rise.

We need to stop... (applause) We need to stop the impending Medicaid budget cuts, because if those go through in January, it will hike up health care costs for all of us, while rural health clinics, rural hospitals are forced to close.

Our emergency departments will become more understaffed and more overcrowded.

We need to incentivize the building of homes.

We need to stop private equity from owning so many of our homes.

We need to make it easier for new families to buy their first home by providing tax credits for first time home buyers.

The answer to these problems are known.

We just need more leaders who are willing to do the hard work to solve these problems.

We need to lower grocery prices.

How do we do that?

Not by calling affordability a hoax, but by stopping the unconstitutional on again, off again tariffs that are driving up inflation and leading to our high grocery prices.

Number one, I say what I mean and I mean what I say.

This moment is so urgent.

We don't have the luxury of talking around the issues.

We must identify the problem.

Find a solution and do everything we can to work to implement that solution.

Number two I am not afraid of a fight, and the reason I am fearless is because I am in this fight for my own three children.

So anyone here... Thank you.

(applause) So anyone here who is a parent or a grandparent knows that I mean it, literally when I say I would walk through fire for my children (applause) If I can, if I can walk through fire for my children, I can certainly take on Darline Graham for my children.

(applause) Number three, I will always tell you the truth.

It's what doctors do every single day, even when the news is really hard to deliver.

We should expect the same for our elected representatives in Washington, D.C.

and then number four, children always have been and always will be my North Star.

Every single vote I take when I get to Washington, D.C.

will be on the side that benefits America's children.

And the good news about that for all the non-children in this room today, is that what's good for kids is good for families.

And what's good for families is good for our communities.

And what's good for our communities is good for our economy.

So not only is putting kids first objectively the right thing to do, it actually benefits all of us.

Gavin> In Graniteville on Tuesday, I asked Andrews several questions, including whether she would support impeaching President Donald Trump if Democrats take back the House.

Dr.

Andrews> If there's a vote put in front of me, yes, but I am not going to spend South Carolina's time on a procedure to impeach Donald Trump.

We need to focus on the work ahead over the following two years, the final two years of this administration, we need to prepare for a big governing moment that will start at the beginning of 2029.

I do not think my time will be best served focusing on impeaching the current president.

So, no.

Gavin> But when it comes R.F.K.

Jr.

what specifically do you see is an impeachable offense in your opinion?

Dr.

Andrews> I mean, he's a clear and present danger to public health here in America.

We experienced here, right home in South Carolina, in Spartanburg County, a measles outbreak where we had nearly a thousand documented cases of measles, which is a disease I learned about in medical school from a textbook because it was really a disease of the past.

And now, not only has that disease come back because of the anti-vaccine conspiracy theories that R.F.K.

Jr.

has been spreading for decades, many other diseases are going to see a resurgence.

We're seeing increased cases of whooping cough.

We're going to see increased cases of flu and R.S.V.

Who knows if we're going to see polio come back.

We're also seeing a rise in bacterial meningitis, because some of the vaccines we give to young children are to prevent that devastating disease.

So as a pediatrician who's taking care of sick and injured children my entire career, R.F.K.

Jr.

is an absolute threat to the public health of this country.

We cannot allow him to have two more years as a leader of H.H.S.

Gavin> And, you're talking about data centers today.

That is just such a hot button topic.

It's interesting to see.

And you picked on the Obamas, as well.

But just like maybe the bipartisan nature behind that.

Can you maybe speak to that and like again, your stance reiterate that.

And then where you see maybe some common ground with Republicans and Democrats...on this.

Dr.

Andrews> Yeah, I think, you know, this is this is a new issue, sort of in the mainstream political discourse.

It's certainly not a brand new issue, but because it's so new, we haven't reverted to our typical partisan like corners yet.

And in that way, I see it as a real opportunity for Americans to remember that there is more that unites us than divides us, that we are not each other's enemy, that we can join together and fight back against corporate interests when they're prioritized over community interests.

We have seen that happen in other parts of the state of South Carolina.

At town hall meetings where Democrats and Republicans joined together to fight back against data centers they don't want built.

So I do think this is an opportunity of an issue for us to remember that we can all work together to do what's in the best interests of our local community and of our state overall.

Gavin> And that means getting a moratorium in place.

So,...when you're talking about a regulatory framework, is that federal or is that federal and state, or where do you, where does that need to come from?

Dr.

Andrews> Yeah, I mean, I think because the power balance is so off kilter here when you're talking about a rural county council and, you know, a giant corporation, that the two year moratorium is necessary to put a federal regulatory framework in place to really return the power to the local level.

And then we need to coach up and teach up our county councils so they know how to approach these conversations and these negotiations.

Because one thing that's not going to change is that we have what they want here.

We have the land, we have the water.

That's not going to change.

So we need to put ourselves in a position to negotiate effectively so that these large corporations that have, you know, their, their overwhelming share of profits, they can invest some of that money into our local communities because, as we all know, there's rural communities all across South Carolina that can use investment like that.

But what we can't allow them to do is just come into our towns.

Woo our county councils, bulldoze trees, and then build these eyesores that contribute nothing meaningfully back to the community.

Gavin> National Democratic figures continue to visit the state, as well, ahead of the November 3rd midterms, with an eye on the 2020 presidential race.

As South Carolina will once again be first on the presidential nominating calendar for Democrats.

Christale Spain> Like I think that it doesn't change anything.

Right.

Because our voters are the same.

The amount of attention we're going to get is going to increase substantially.

So I think that it also helps us.

But the way we voted, is it going to change because we're now a first in the lineup instead of third?

You know, the clean up batter was a great place to be.

Oh well, that, that day is over.

Now we're first at bat and we're going to make sure we're going to make that work for us as well.

Just as good as, being the cleanup batter.

>> So these candidates, if we get 8 or 9 presidential candidates out there, if they had to go to a big, say, a Virginia or, or one of these big northeastern states or whatever, to get their message across, where would they, they'd be out of money before they got out of the first state.

So this is an opportunity for candidates who maybe aren't on the top end of the fundraising on the front, you know, coming in or wealthy or whatever, to be able to have an opportunity to make their case in, in, and South Carolina's, a diverse state, you know, geographically, economically.

Gavin> Former U.S.

Department of Transportation secretary and 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg spoke at the "Spratt Issues Conference" before hundreds of Democrats in August in Florence.

Pete Buttigieg> Think about it.

They cannot run on their policies because their policies are disastrous and unpopular.

When you have spent the last two years cutting Medicaid, cutting SNAP, cutting education, raising health care premiums while cutting taxes for the largest corporations and the wealthiest people in the land, you cannot run on your policies because if they ran on their policies, they would lose.

And they can't run on their record because the results have been disgraceful.

Since Republicans have spent the last two years making groceries more expensive with their tariffs, making mortgages more expensive with their deficits, and making gas more expensive with their illegal war, they cannot possibly run on their record.

You can't run on a record of covering up the Epstein files and abstent...(applause) Right?

You can't run on a record of doing things like that and obsessively waging culture wars, while everything in American life gets harder and not easier, more expensive and not more affordable.

You know, when I was first introducing myself here, I was a mayor from Indiana with big ideas about reform, about the future.

I still have those big ideas about the future.

But I've also experienced from the inside everything that's broken in our system.

I spent four years trying to build infrastructure across this country.

I'm proud of the things we got done, but also saw for myself how partisanship and, red tape, a lot of other huge problems are getting in the way of even the best policy plans and designs.

And I just have different relationships now, than I did eight years ago when I was running around trying to get myself known, Introducing myself as a total stranger, and it's gratifying to be back in this state with people that I got to know, not just when I was asking for their vote, but when I was teaming up with them to deliver resources here.

Gavin> This month, California Governor Gavin Newsom launched a multi-day "Take It Back Tour" to rally Democratic voters and support down ballot candidates ahead of the midterms, with stops in South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama.

Newsom has made three trips to the Palmetto State over the past year and a half and helped recruit candidates to run for office, as well as raise more than $370,000 dollars for the state party.

Last week, he spoke at six stops around the state in red districts, bringing out hundreds in each location.

>> These, this is states' rights.

Okay.

Rights, period.

They're battled at the state level.

You talk about maps, that's state legislatures.

That's governors.

Republicans have understood this for 40 years.

We seem to be focused on the next four years.

They've been building bottom up.

They've been focusing on judges, city councils, school boards.

You saw in 2010 and, you know, 2010 was a pivotal moment as it relates to these statehouses and state races all throughout the South.

Karl Rove made the point, says that's where we're investing all our money.

They won 675 state races in 2010, about a thousand since.

They understand that.

We have to focus bottom up, not top down.

My message Democrats is, I know we're all waiting for the next Obama.

I know, we're all waiting for the next guy or gal on the white horse.

Come save us all today.

But look in the mirror.

The future is inside of you.

It's not in front of us.

It's not some for all of us to experience It's for something for us to manifest.

And by showing up and by sending a message and being there for these local races, by flipping these legislative races from red to blue.

This is how we rebuild the scaffolding of our democracy.

This is how we take back power.

This is how we solve the challenges of our times as it relates to ignorance and poverty and disease.

This is how, we ought to not only save democracy, but we democratize our economy and address the issue of wealth and income inequality and solve these vexing and challenging issues that only Democrats seem to give a damn and want to solve.

Gavin> I spoke with Antjuan Seawright, the founder and CEO of the Democratic political consulting firm Blueprint Strategy, about South Carolina Democrats, the importance of the first in the nation presidential primary, and what Democrats need to do to win statewide here in less than eight weeks.

>> Well, we have to own the truth.

and have to own the narrative.

You're going to hear over the next, course of weeks and days, you're going to hear Republicans in South Carolina try to over nationalize, our local elections and those that are very, I think adjacent to our state.

You hear them talk about we have border issues.

I declare the only border issues we have is from those who are moving up north, who are trying to come down south to South Carolina because no one retires and moves up north.

You hear them talk about our candidates being attached to socialism and some of the most extreme, outrageous policies, that, some who are likened to the Democratic Party have adapt.

But I would just declare that we believe in a safe, secure, humane border.

We believe in funding the police.

We believe that everyone should have the God given right to earn their op... their opportunities and their potential.

I think Democrats in South Carolina also fundamentally believe that the affordability crisis we have in our state is brought to you by your neighborhood Republican Party, because they've been in control for 20 years plus now.

Gavin> And Antjuan is that going to be the message that Democrats really need to hone in on the affordability crisis, and shrug off those claims of being called communists and socialists?

I mean, we heard from the president when he was in town a couple weeks ago in Myrtle Beach, calling them all socialists.

All Democrats are socialists and communists.

And I just heard from Dr.

Annie Andrews the other day, and she says she in no way identifies with the D.S.A.. So is it just a matter of sticking our message at this point for the Democrats?

Antjuan> Well, it's message discipline, but it's also calling out the truth.

And truth be told, suppression, lies bigotry, division, are all electoral strategies for Republicans across our country and in South Carolina.

I think Democrats have to lean in on what they fundamentally stand for.

Like, not... not ignoring the fact that 600,000 South Carolinians benefit from those Affordable Care Act tax credits, and now they're seeing their premiums, co-pays and deductibles rise to the point of some paying double, triple to what they paid before.

That's because of the Republican Party.

If you're frustrated by the roads in our state, that's because of the lack of action from the Republican Party.

If, if you're trying to put into together to hope they meet, that's because Republicans have not kept up with wages, wealth and work in our state.

And I can go on and on and on about every single issue.

So the affordability crisis is certainly a large segment of the political conversation to this point.

And I think we should own the fact that we're trying to fix it.

And they've put the screws to us in South Carolina.

Gavin> And Antjuan, obviously, we are always talking about how South Carolina is very red.

It's not like North Carolina.

It's not like Georgia with its purple swing state status.

So where do you see that, that, that pathway for these statewide candidates?

I mean, I have been seeing Dr.

Annie Andrews on the campaign trail more.

She's doing her tour.

She's talking about affordability issues.

She's turning out hundreds of folks.

I haven't seen so much from Jermaine Johnson for the gubernatorial campaign right now.

But of course, it's post Labor Day.

Things are really ramping up.

How do you see these pathways for victory for these candidates when they're fighting uphill battles, when it comes to war chests and also just, overall the way that the electorate is in South Carolina?

Antjuan> Well, perception is not a reality in politics.

And I think we have to own that part.

But the other thing is, we have to make certain that we expand our coalition and meet people where they are.

Gavin, I have to remind folks that issues divide us, our values unite us.

If you care about having affordable, quality health care and access to it, then certainly you're going to align with Annie Andrews, Jermaine Johnson and those who are fighting on the Democratic side.

If you think that public education is a must, not a plus, then certainly you side with Democrats.

If you think that you should be able to go to work, earn a decent wage, be able to afford to buy a home, be able to live decently, afford a vacation, put food on the table and not have to worry about your rent being more, your rent being less than your utility bills.

Then you certainly align with the Democratic Party and our values.

And I think those are the direct conversations we have to have.

In a high tech, high tech way, but at the same period of time, I think we have to make these things personal.

If you live in the rural areas of South Carolina, if you live in the urban areas of South Carolina or suburban areas, you feel the residue or the lack of action on the policies that impact South Carolina.

Gavin, I'll give you two relevant examples.

There are 50,000 families in South Carolina who will no longer receive a child care voucher that our state let expire.

That has nothing to do with socialism.

It has nothing to do with the Democratic Party.

That's our Republican Party leadership.

The largest cut to SNAP benefits in American history has a $100 million impact on South Carolina.

That's a direct result or fault of the Republican Party and their leadership.

And so I think we have to start having values conversations and how they impact individuals in South Carolina.

Gavin> And before we pivot to maybe more some general issues for Democrats, I want to ask you more about the U.S.

Senate race, too.

I mean, we've had such an unusual Senate primary situation with the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham in July, his sister, Darline being appointed and then running, allegedly at President Trump's urging, then his backing.

And that's a... that was amid a field of like ten candidates.

Then she made the runoff.

The president turned out big for her in Myrtle Beach, She won by about four and a half, five points.

How do you think that changed the race for Dr.

Andrews?

You went from a really well known person with Senator Graham.

Sorry, Lindsey Graham.

Then you go to, who she's trying to paint as a really, relatively unknown person with Senator Darline Graham.

Antjuan> Well, politics, like sports, is a game of matchups.

I love this matchup for Dr.

Andrew Andrews.

One, because there's a large segment of conservatives in South Carolina who believe, as I believe, that Darline Graham is a D.E.I.

effort, "didn't earn it".

She was essentially given the seat, and now, with the blessing of Trump and some in South Carolina, she was able to parade her way to the nomination.

There's a large segment of the population who does not believe that she's qualified to have the job.

And the other tick of the watch you have a candidate in Darline Graham or a senator who's basically said, I'm going to be a rubber stamp for "Trump-ism".

What does "Trump-ism" mean?

The largest cut to Medicaid in American history, the largest cut to SNAP benefits in...American history, cuts to Medicare.

That also means not extending those Affordable Care Act tax credits that impact over 600,000 South Carolinians.

We see hospitals closing.

We've seen community health centers on the verge of closing, we see ed, public education being defunded.

We see law enforcement being defunded.

So when we talk about values and we think about the things that are important to South Carolinians, including those tariffs, in which households in South Carolina pay $4,000 dollars a year, additional, for no apparent reason, then I love the matchup that we will have with Dr.

Andrews and Ms.

Senator Darline Graham Gavin> Antjuan, switching gears a little bit, too, we've seen some big national Democratic figures come to the state thinking like former D.O.T.

Secr... former U.S.

D.O.T.

Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Governor Gavin Newsom was back in the state for a two day, six stop tour.

This is his third visit to the state over the past year and a half or so, really trying to rally folks for the midterms, even helping candidates for State House, really trying to get momentum going.

Is momentum on the side of Democrats?

Are...they're also sending these messages of folks saying that they need be tougher.

Are are Democrats being tougher?

And do they have the momentum needed to actually turn out and win in November?

>> Well, in order to have momentum, you have to have infrastructure.

And so I think what you see these candidates coming to South Carolina, adding their voice to the conversation and their version of resources, is simply helping to strengthen and rebuild, in some cases, build out infrastructure in nontraditional places where we know Democrats have the ability to perform better.

But we've underperformed in certain ways.

And then when you think about what's happening around the country it's very much so reflective of what we're talking about in South Carolina.

So have, adding new voices of validation to that process, I think only helps strengthen the argument.

And at the same period of time, there are some candidates who are doing some high level flirtation for 2028, and we cannot ignore that.

But at the end of the day, I think that this race and this cycle in South Carolina is about South Carolina, and I think some friends from near and far want to help elevate what can be done in South Carolina, because we are certainly pregnant with possibilities in our state.

Gavin> And Antjuan, you're talking about 2020 lingering.

Obviously, that's going to be what happens the day after November 3rd.

Everyone's going to start ramping up eyes towards that, of course.

But how critical for South Carolina is it for, Democrats to retain that designation for the first of the nation Democratic presidential primary?

Looking forward to January 2028.

After that decision by D.N.C.

recently?

Antjuan> It was one of the most consequential national political decisions, I think, for any party in modern day history.

Gavin, since 1992, every candidate who's won the state of South Carolina has gone on to be our party's nominee and in many cases, gone on to be president, with one exception... John Edwards in 2004, who won the South Carolina primary, did not win our party's nomination, but went on to be on the ticket that year.

60% percent of those who cast their vote in the Democratic primary in South Carolina are African-American.

That means the same voices that once, the same bloodline of the voices that once picked cotton, will have the first say so on who the nominee is for the party, who seems to advocate for African-American voices, concerns, and issues the most.

I think that's important, I think, it's critical.

I also think from an economic development standpoint and economy standpoint, it's good for South Carolina, for Republicans to have their rightful place and for the Democrats to lead, as first in the nation.

Gavin> And Antjuan you're always so, vocal.

You're always such a great go to person during those, presidential primaries... as we've seen play out over the past years, but first in the nation again, we have that last time with President Joe Biden.

Obviously, that was more just, you know, there was no one running against him, per se.

So it was just kind of like a rubber stamp, in a sense, for, for, for us as a state and the Democrats here.

But when you look at 2020, it's going to be wide open on both sides, Democrats and Republicans.

But for the Democrats, are you expecting them to really step it up in terms of their ability to get more folks here, to really have more events, to do more things over the next 15, 16 months to really make South Carolina, not just, the key player in all of this, but also to make sure that, you know, come four years later that we're still first in the nation?

Antjuan> Well, I think that the road to Heaven and the White House runs through South Carolina.

And I think candidates who are flirting, those who made the decision to date or marry, understand that.

And so you're going to see a serious collapse of political interest onto, and with South Carolina and her people black, white, brown, Independent, Moderate, Democrat, Republican, and everything in between.

And the beauty about South Carolina is you're not limited to voting in the Democratic primary, even though you may identify as something else.

So others who don't identify per se, with Democrats, will have the ability to make their voices heard if they choose to do so.

And so I think that is going to drive unique attention.

We're certainly going to highlight the issues that matter to rural America in a state like South Carolina, but at the same period of time, put an emphasis on issues that matter to voters of color, in particular, African-American voters.

Gavin> But I mean, you foresee it being a completely different type of presidential primary...?

Antjuan> Absolutely, because it's an open seat for the first time, South Carolina will be first.

And so, we will see, I think, a test drive of what the future of the Democratic Party nominating process will look like.

Gavin> And then just wrapping up there, too.

I think a lot of people always say, "Oh, it needs to go to a..." like there's so much contention over other states that should have had it.

But of course, you know, we have that track record.

Are you concerned at all that we might lose that track record?

I feel like we always kind of play cleanup hitter a little bit.

We kind of decide the differences between Iowa and New Hampshire.

You think this time it's going to be more definitive, like it has been for us in the past?

Antjuan> I think it depends on who's in the race.

I certainly think South Carolina putting down her marker first is going to make a difference because of the 60% plus African-American participation, the rural, urban, suburban divide, the fact that you have, a number of people who are not born to South Carolina, but now recognize the significance of South Carolina so they moved here, and then our aging population, our college and university system, our military presence, our conservation conversation, our health care perspective.

We add so much to the national conversation.

So I think it's going to be a true nugget, and test drive and test case for candidates and how they message and how they maneuver going forward.

Gavin> Gotcha.

Antjuan Seawright.

Thank you so much.

Antjuan> Good to be with you.

Gavin> You can find this interview and much more on youtube.com/SCETV news.

For South Carolina ETV, I'm Gavin Jackson.

Be well South Carolina.

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