The Political Beat Candidate Guide: South Carolina United States Senate (D)

Three candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for South Carolina’s US Senate race: Annie Andrews, Brandon Brown and Kyle Freeman.

Annie Andrews

What is your occupation?

Physician.

Why are you running?

I am running for the U.S. Senate to fight for the South Carolina families and kids who have been left behind by Washington politicians like Lindsey Graham. Families across the country are struggling in ways that we should never accept as normal. Whether it’s the cost of groceries, the price of child care, or access to affordable, quality health care, I see the impacts every day. It’s time for leaders who understand what’s at stake and are ready to fight for it.

What is your top priority?

My top priority is protecting and expanding Medicaid and Medicare access. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Healthcare should be something every family can count on, not something you have to fight for. Lindsey Graham has voted to make healthcare more expensive over and over again. He’s worked to slash Medicaid, roll back ACA subsidies, and gut funding for the Department of Health and Human Services. He stood by while public health experts were pushed out of government and misinformation spread faster than a virus. Families are paying the price for that neglect. In the Senate, I’ll work to:

■ Advocate for policies like a public option that expand access to affordable

healthcare for all South Carolinians

■ Make mental health care easier to find and afford

■ Protect and expand Medicaid and Medicare

■ Lower the cost of prescription drugs

■ Defend and restore scientific research that leads to new cures

■ Strengthen vaccine access and public-health preparedness

■ Keep rural hospitals open

Everyone deserves the peace of mind that if they or their child get sick, they can see a doctor without going broke.

What should the role of the United States be in Iran?

Since President Trump launched his unauthorized attack against Iran on February 28, thirteen brave American service members have been killed and scores wounded. According to the Pentagon’s Acting Comptroller, this war has already cost the American taxpayers over $25 billion, and that number does not include the cost of repairing or rebuilding damaged installations. The war has closed the Strait of Hormuz and damaged oil facilities throughout the region, raising the cost of gas and prices for groceries for all Americans. The administration has provided no clear explanation for why we are at war with Iran. And Lindsey Graham has refused to ask. Senators have a responsibility to ask why we are risking the lives of our service members and the hard-earned tax dollars of our citizens. As senator, I will ask those tough questions. Dr. Annie Andrews is for a two-state solution in Israel and also Israel’s right to defend itself. However, I think we can all agree that the events of late under Netanyahu’s leadership have gone too far. Not unlike the US decisions and events led by the Trump administration and Lindsey Graham. The United States has gotten into another nation-building project that it cannot uphold.

What issue are you most aligned with President Trump? What issue do you most disagree with him on?

I support any effort to lower prescription drug prices—and I’m glad Donald Trump has continued to shine a spotlight on how broken that system is. We’ve seen real progress in recent years, including capping insulin at $35 a month for Medicare patients and capping out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year. That’s the kind of change families need, and I’ll work with anyone—Republican or Democrat—who’s serious about bringing down costs and making healthcare more affordable.

What sets you apart from your opponents?

I am a pediatrician and a mom, not a career politician. I have spent my entire career serving South Carolina families—not donors and lobbyists—and I’m running for Senate because kids and parents across the state are getting screwed by a system designed to work for the powerful, not the rest of us. I am the only person in this primary who has put in the work required to beat Lindsey Graham in November.

Brandon Brown

Brandon Brown did not respond to our candidate guide. We will update this with her response if we receive it.

Kyle Freeman

Kyle Freeman did not respond to our candidate guide. We will update this with her response if we receive it.