Graham accepted an invitation to participate in a SCETV Senate debate on October 11, setting up a direct confrontation with Democratic challenger Annie Andrews.
The race is to succeed Graham’s late brother in what has become one of South Carolina’s most closely watched Senate contests heading into the final stretch.
Graham made the announcement in a forceful statement Friday evening, leaving no ambiguity about her intentions heading into the debate.
“I’m in. On October 11, I will take the debate stage and expose Annie Andrews’ radical positions she’s spent the last year hiding from South Carolina families,” Graham said.
She added: “This is your seat, South Carolina, and it will be my honor to show you why I am ready to continue serving you and representing our conservative values in Washington.”
Andrews confirmed that both candidates had accepted the SCETV invitation in Columbia, ending weeks of public pressure she had directed at Graham.
The confirmation came after Andrews launched a campaign initiative specifically designed to pressure Graham into agreeing to multiple debates across the state.
Andrews called the campaign initiative “Debate Me Darline,” arguing that Graham’s reluctance to commit to debates reflected a broader problem in American political life.
“I believe it’s a sign of a really unhealthy democracy that there’s even a question of whether or not there would be a series of live, televised debates in this race for essentially an open U.S. Senate seat,” Andrews said.
Andrews had previously challenged Graham to participate in at least three debates across South Carolina, contending that voters deserved direct opportunities to hear from both candidates on the issues.
Beyond the SCETV event, Andrews has also accepted an invitation from FOX Carolina for a live, televised debate and is publicly calling on Graham to do the same.
Graham’s campaign confirmed they received the FOX Carolina invitation, which proposed a debate during the week of October 12, to be televised and streamed on Gray Media stations throughout South Carolina.
Graham secured her position in the general election after winning the Republican primary runoff in August, setting up the contest against Andrews.
Andrews, who previously ran for Congress before launching her Senate campaign, has framed herself as a political outsider and focused heavily on health care affordability and economic pressures facing South Carolina families.
