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South Carolina’s Democratic senator-elect has a history of trashing Republicans and advocating passionately for transgender rights on social media, with many of those posts reemerging after her victory earlier this month.
“The T in LGBTQ+ stands for TRANSGENDER,” Annie Andrews, who is set to represent a state President Donald Trump won by roughly 18%, posted in 2023. “If you don’t support trans people, keep your cute pride post in your draft tweets, be better, and try again next year.”
“Periodic reminder that I support trans kids because I am not an a**hole,” she posted around the same time.
The posts stand in stark contrast to the more moderate image Andrews presented during her successful campaign against Republican Sen. Darline Graham, when she courted Republicans and independents in the deep-red state and distanced herself from some of her earlier positions on transgender issues.
MASSIVE UPSET: ANDREWS DOWNS TRUMP-BACKED GRAHAM IN RUBY-RED SOUTH CAROLINA
Annie Andrews, candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks with people Monday, March 30, 2026, during the campaign event in Greenville, South Carolina. (REUTERS)
Beyond transgender issues, where she later distanced herself from certain positions in a campaign ad, Andrews also made her disdain clear for the Republican Party before running for Senate — statements that clashed with the emphasis she placed on bipartisanship while on the campaign trail.
In August 2024, Andrews stated that the Republican Party “needs to be lit on fire & thrown in the dumpster & plunged into the deepest depths of the ocean never to be seen again,” after some individuals on social media mocked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s son.
SC DEM SENATE CANDIDATE CLAIMS SHE WILL STAND UP TO HER PARTY AS GRAHAM TIES HER TO ‘SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS’
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 01: South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Annie Andrews greets supporters during a midterm campaign rally on November 01, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Andrews is running against Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC). (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) ((Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images))
“Herpes is forever,” she said in another post. “JD Vance doesn’t have to be.”
“Wow they let you out of the kitchen. Congrats,” Andrews wrote in a post reacting to GOP Sen. Katie Britt talking about a White House visit, making a jab at Britt with a reference to women being confined to traditional homemaking roles.
While Andrews had strong words for Republicans before launching her Senate bid, she worked to appease them in the lead-up to Election Day.
At an October town hall billed as “Republicans and Independents for Annie,” for instance, she said the campaign was for people more concerned about bills, rural hospitals and government integrity than party labels. She repeatedly stated that she intended to work across the aisle if elected and that her campaign was “not just for Democrats.”
DEMOCRATS ARE CHANGING THEIR TRANSGENDER MESSAGE. REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’RE JUST FLIP-FLOPPING
Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews participates in a debate with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, Oct. 19, 2022, in Charleston, S.C. (Brad Nettles/The Post And Courier via AP, File)
Andrews made scores of other posts expressing support for abortion access, drag queen story hours and increased restrictions on firearm ownership, among other issues. She reposted one post calling semi-automatic rifles “weapons of war,” for instance.
“Republicans spent all their money trying to defeat Abdul and hired zero opposition researchers on Annie,” independent journalist Zaid Jilani wrote on X, responding to one of Andrews’ pro-transgender resurfaced posts.
WHERE TOP DEMOCRAT SENATE CANDIDATES AND THEIR GOP OPPONENTS STAND ON TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Annie Andrews speaks during a campaign stop at the Columbia Bethlehem Community Center on October 06, 2026 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
While some have criticized Republicans for not capitalizing on Andrews’ posts while on the campaign trail, the GOP did dredge old statements in an attempt to dissuade voters from backing her.
“Annie Andrews launched her political career fighting for her trans agenda … dozens of comments and tweets advocating for dudes in girls’ sports, procedures on minors, and more,” National Republican Senatorial Committee advisor Nathan Brand posted in October, responding to an ad released by Andrews disavowing biological men in women’s sports. “Now she is walking it ALL back.”
Republicans leaned heavily into transgender issues, particularly banning sex change procedures for children and biological men from competing in women’s sports, during the 2026 electoral cycle. While the focus on such issues did not prevent the GOP from losing what are usually safe seats, a number of ballot measures rolling back transgender rights passed in liberal states.
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The Andrews campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Digital on Monday.
