In this episode of Women in America, Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and U.S. Senate candidate in South Carolina, explains why she is challenging Senator Lindsey Graham.
Andrews says she never expected to enter politics, but after 20 years caring for children, she realized, “If we want to advocate for policies that actually help America’s kids and families, we have to go upstream and engage in politics.” She describes seeing children struggle with food insecurity, chronic disease, mental health crises and gun violence, and notes that these experiences pushed her from advocacy into electoral politics.
Andrews believes South Carolina is more competitive than many assume. She describes packed rooms across the state filled with people who are “frustrated but motivated, fearful but optimistic” about change. She argues that Graham is no longer serving South Carolinians, saying, “He is a follower, not a leader, and he is in D.C. to keep one man happy, and that man is Donald Trump.”
Still, Andrews is critical of both parties.
While she aligns with Democratic policies, she says the party often fails to communicate effectively or inspire younger voters.
“We have the right policies, we just do not have the right strategy,” she says, and stresses her commitment to speaking authentically rather than following a consultant script.
Andrews invokes crowded emergency rooms and families who cannot afford rising costs to drive her point forward. She warns that allowing ACA subsidies to expire will “double or triple insurance premiums” for millions, including many Republican voters and argues that the GOP has “no healthcare plan” and is harming the system while spreading misinformation. Andrews also calls South Carolina’s proposed abortion laws “truly draconian” and frames them as part of a larger assault on medical freedom.
If elected, Andrews says her top priorities are a permanent expanded child tax credit, rebuilding Medicaid, and advancing gun violence prevention.
“We are at a make-or-break moment for this country,” she concludes, urging voters to support leaders with real expertise.
