I'm with Annie

Because South Carolina Deserves Better — and Better Starts with Her

It should come as no surprise, but I’m with Dr. Annie Andrews in her race for U.S. Senate against Lindsey Graham—just like I was with her when she ran for Congress against Nancy Mace. And it’s not just because of politics, or party, or strategy. It’s because of who Annie is, and what she represents.

I had the honor of working closely with Annie during her congressional campaign. Back then, I saw something rare. I saw a candidate who wasn’t just running for something, but running because of something. She was running because of her deep-rooted commitment to children, to families, to truth, to justice. She didn’t have to imagine what working families were going through. She knew, because she’d lived it. Because she still lives it. Every single day, with every patient she treats.

She showed up to every conversation with grace, compassion, and unwavering clarity about what mattered most to her. Protecting reproductive freedom, making sure every child has a chance to thrive, standing up to gun violence, and telling the truth even when it’s hard. She didn’t just speak about those values on the campaign trail, she embodied them.

There’s a poem by Langston Hughes called Live Your Creed that always resonates with me when I think of Annie.

I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one any day.

I'd rather one walk with me than just to show the way.

The eye is a better pupil and more willing than the ear.

Advice may be misleading but examples are always clear.

And the very best teachers are the one who live their Creed,

for to see good put into action is what everybody needs.

I can soon learn to do it if you let me see it done.

I can watch your hand in motion but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lectures you deliver may be fine very and true

But I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.

For I may misunderstand you and fine advice you give

But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

That’s why I believed in Annie then—and why I still do today. Because she doesn’t just talk about the world we could build. She lives like it’s possible and fights to make it a reality. She makes you believe in a politics that feels human again. Real. Grounded. Brave. Kind. Compassionate.

She’s a pediatrician who has held crying children in her arms. A mom who’s juggled the impossible demands so many families face. A woman who could have stayed comfortable in a quiet life, but instead chose the harder path. Because she knew she had more to give.

South Carolina and our country needs Annie’s voice in the Senate. We need her courage, her heart, and her relentless belief that we can do better by one another.

This race is personal to me, because Annie makes it personal. She makes it about all of us. And I will stand with her every step of the way.

Let’s send someone to Washington who doesn’t just tell us who she is. Let’s send someone to Washington who shows us.

Authenticity over Apathy

Balance over Bluster

Courage over Chaos

Dedication over Deception

Empathy over Evasion

Fairness over Fear-mongering

Grace over Gridlock

Honesty over Hypocrisy

Integrity over Inconsistency

Justice over Justification

Kindness over Knavery

Leadership over Loopholes

Morals over Manipulation

Nurturing over Neglect

Openness over Obstruction

Progress over Posturing

Questioning over Quiescence

Resolve over Retreat

Service over Self-interest

Truth over Talking points

Unity over Undermining

Vision over Vendettas

Wisdom over Waffling

Xenial over Xenophobia

Yare over Yoked

Zeal for PEOPLE over Zeal for power