Connect to the Capitol
Graham back on the trail
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Darline Graham is campaigning across South Carolina ahead of the November election, meeting with voters and outlining the conservative policies she says she would pursue in office.
Graham met with supporters Monday at a Lizard’s Thicket in West Columbia. Supporters at the event said they want Graham to establish her own voice and represent their priorities in the Senate.
Graham has defended her experience, pointing to her seven years leading a state agency with a $90 million budget and 130 employees. She said she transformed the agency from what she described as a struggling organization into a national model.
Graham also outlined several conservative positions, saying she supports the Second Amendment, opposes abortion, and opposes diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. She also called for stricter enforcement of immigration laws.
Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews is campaigning on a different set of priorities, focusing on affordability and federal spending.
Andrews said she wants to cut the federal deficit and reduce the national debt, lower taxes for working South Carolina families, and reduce some Congressional benefits.
Andrews also criticized Graham’s political background, saying she is focused on addressing what she described as problems in Washington.
Graham has said she wants to continue the work of her late brother while establishing her own path in the Senate.
Both candidates are scheduled to debate each other in an ETV debate on October 11 before early voting opens for the Tuesday, November 3 election.
SC roads, bridges, water get low grades
A national engineering group says South Carolina’s infrastructure grade is improving, but there’s still a lot of work to be done in the Palmetto State.
The state’s overall grade is up from the last report in 2021, but a C- is still a reason for concern.
According to a report released Tuesday by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the state’s drinking water received a D grade in large part due to aging transmission pipelines.
“Here in Columbia, we have infrastructure that’s in the ground and is 80+ years old and in need of rehabilitation and replacement, and funding those infrastructure improvements to provide those basic services for citizens is really, really important,” Clint Shealy of Columbia Water said.
Clint Shealy of Columbia Water says the city invests around $100 million a year in water and wastewater infrastructure.
Shealy adds that, due to major projects almost being completed on the wastewater side, those resources will be shifted to the drinking water and help bring improvements.
“Looking to shift that funding a little more from the wastewater side to the drinking water side, kind of a 50/50 split of that 100-120 million, and I feel like if we continue on that pace, we’ll slowly start shifting up that grading curve,” Shealy said.
Shealy notes the city of Columbia has not had any drinking water violations. View PDF
The Palmetto State earned a C- overall on the ASCE’s 2026 report card for state infrastructure. Things like roads, bridges, and drinking water are still seeing below-average grades according to the recent results.
“These grades are not a reflection of the people and agencies that work diligently to operate and maintain the state infrastructure system, but the limited resources available to them,” said Jonathan Ard, co-chair of the 2026 report card for SC’s Infrastructure.
Bridges in South Carolina received a C- grade, with only a little more than 34% said to be in good condition. Roads got a D+ grade, a slight increase since a D grade in 2021.
Ard says despite funding for roads increasing to more than $6 billion dollars in 2024, many roads still need improvement.
Women in Politics: Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter
In this week’s Connect to the Capitol, we have a conversation with Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter in our first-ever “Women in SC Politics” segment.
We are examining the experiences and influence of women in South Carolina politics.
Rep. Cobb-Hunter has witnessed more of the modern history of the South Carolina House than any other current member. First elected in 1992. she became the first person of color to lead a legislative caucus in South Carolina. Cobb-Hunter now serves as first vice-chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
Rep. Cobb-Hunter talks about what has changed for women in public office, the declining civility of the House chamber, the rise of politics designed for social media and the issues voters should be considering in this year’s November election.
Also, check out the Connect to the Capitol Extra, where Catherine Glenn Foster has an extensive post-show conservation with Rep. Cobb-Hunter.
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