Democrats win Senate seats in South Carolina and Kansas
Annie Andrews and Adam Hamilton secure victories in states that have long been Republican strongholds.
Democrat Annie Andrews and Democrat Adam Hamilton have won Senate races in South Carolina and Kansas, respectively, according to reports from BBC News and the Associated Press.
In South Carolina, Andrews, a former paediatrician, is projected to win the seat, marking the first Democratic victory in the state in 28 years. Republican candidate Darline Graham is projected to lose the race, according to the BBC's US partner CBS.
Graham had been appointed to the seat in July following the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham. Graham had been elected to the Senate in 2002 and was a prominent voice on foreign policy.
In Kansas, Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor, defeated incumbent Republican Roger Marshall. The Associated Press reported that a Democrat has not won a Senate seat in Kansas since 1932.
Hamilton campaigned on Democratic positions regarding affordability, while Marshall, a physician and supporter of President Donald Trump, pledged to expand rural healthcare and support agriculture. The Associated Press noted that the $110m race was the most expensive in the history of Kansas.
During his campaign, Marshall faced criticism over his support for certain policies and a report that he had sued approximately 700 former patients for medical debt. Hamilton stated on Monday that the next two years are a pivotal time for the country.