Conservative pundit George Will has urged South Carolina voters to elect Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Annie Andrews over Republican Darline Graham, who secured the Republican nomination with President Donald Trump's endorsement. Will's commentary appeared in an op-ed published in The Washington Post.
"In November, South Carolinians’ choice of their next U.S. senator will indicate whether their pride about their independence still endures," Will wrote. He suggested that electing Andrews would demonstrate political independence.
Darline Graham, who has been serving as interim senator since her brother's incapacitation, won the Republican runoff. Will criticized Graham's qualifications and her alignment with Trump's agenda. He described her performance in a recent debate, where she admitted to not being well-informed on national security, as "cringeworthy."
Will also addressed Graham's attacks on Andrews, noting Graham's suggestion that her rival supports the idea of "turning confused little boys into little girls and vice versa." Will remarked that "In this year of an inconclusive war, a soaring deficit and stubborn inflation, many Republican candidates seem most worried about transgender matters."
Furthermore, Will pushed back against Graham's stances on immigration and her support for the "unpopular Iran war," suggesting that her endorsement of Trump's agenda reflected a passive enablement of presidential whims. He concluded that Graham's candidacy was diminishing the Republican Party.
This development follows a similar instance where Republican strategist Karl Rove announced his intention to vote for a Democratic candidate in Texas, citing concerns about the direction of the Republican Party and the quality of some GOP nominees.