COLUMBIA – U.S. Senate candidate Annie Andrews, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, and Rep. Jermaine Johnson, the nominee for governor, rallied in Columbia, S.C., on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. The event took place at Senate’s End, an event venue about a mile from the Statehouse, where Andrews and Johnson urged voters to participate in early voting and support Democratic candidates for statewide office in South Carolina.
Andrews, who is vying to be South Carolina’s first Democrat in the U.S. Senate in over 20 years, and Johnson, who could make history as the state’s first Black governor and the first Democrat sent to the Governor’s Mansion in 28 years, spoke to more than 100 people at the rally. Johnson said, “The people of South Carolina, we are ready, we are past ready for a new South Carolina. In this moment, right now, the energy is real. People are fired up. They are ready for real, tangible change because we deserve it.”
Warnock, who is not up for re-election in the U.S. Senate until 2028, is in South Carolina as part of a pre-midterm tour through several states in the South. His appearances in early voting presidential states, including South Carolina, which will hold Democrats’ first primary in the nation in 2028, have fueled speculation about his presidential ambitions. Earlier this week, he was in Columbia for a “faith power hour” with local pastors, where he dodged questions about his presidential ambitions.
Andrews said South Carolinians do not elect dynasties. Lindsey Graham held the Senate seat for almost 24 years when he died. “This Senate seat belongs to South Carolina. It does not belong to one family,” she said.
Other potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders in South Carolina ahead of the midterms include Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Trump is scheduled to rally at Clemson University with Graham on Wednesday.
Johnson’s opponent in the gubernatorial race, GOP Attorney General Alan Wilson, on Friday announced a bus tour for the two weeks leading up until Election Day. Republicans on that tour will include U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
Early voting in South Carolina starts Monday and ends on Oct. 31, except for Oct. 25.
