People · Explainer
A pediatrician, a public-health doctor, an auditor and an Ojibwe organizer: meet the Democrats' breakout class
Annie Andrews, Amy Acton, Rob Sand and Peggy Flanagan won in very different places. Here's who they are.
Ballotpedia called wins for Annie Andrews (South Carolina Senate), Amy Acton (Ohio governor), Rob Sand (Iowa governor) and Peggy Flanagan (Minnesota Senate). Three were Democratic gains; Flanagan held a Democratic seat.
Beyond the headliners, Tuesday minted a new bench. All four calls below are from Ballotpedia's results tracker.
Annie Andrews, South Carolina's senator-elect
The win: A Democratic gain, defeating appointed Sen. Darline Graham, per Ballotpedia. She is the first woman elected to the Senate from South Carolina and the first Democrat to win a Senate race there since 1998, per Wikipedia.
Before politics: A pediatrician who spent 14 years as a hospitalist at MUSC Children's Hospital in Charleston. She got into activism after the 2018 Parkland shooting, joining Moms Demand Action and researching gun violence prevention, per Wikipedia.
How she talks: Her first stop as senator-elect was Shem Creek, where she had first told Washington to "lower the damn diesel." she wrote on X.
Amy Acton, Ohio's governor-elect
The win: A Democratic gain, per Ballotpedia.
Before politics: A Youngstown native and physician with a public-health master's from Ohio State. GOP Gov. Mike DeWine made her the first woman to lead the Ohio Department of Health in 2019, and she led the state's early COVID-19 response, per Wikipedia.
How she talks: "A new sun is rising over the great state of Ohio."
Rob Sand, Iowa's governor-elect
The win: A Democratic gain, per Ballotpedia; he beat Republican Zach Lahn 55% to 44%, per Wikipedia.
Before politics: A former assistant attorney general, he became state auditor in 2019 and was the only Democrat elected statewide in Iowa in 2022. As a Decorah teen, he spent two years lobbying local leaders to build a skate park, per Wikipedia.
How he talks: "Audited: Governor-Elect."
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's senator-elect
The win: She held the seat for Democrats, per Ballotpedia.
Before politics: A citizen of the White Earth Nation, she began as an organizer for the urban Native community, served on the Minneapolis school board, and became lieutenant governor in 2018 as Tim Walz's running mate, the first woman of color elected statewide in Minnesota, per Wikipedia.
How she talks: "You fought for me. Now, it's my turn to fight for you."
Annie Andrews Rob Sand Peggy Flanagan
Sources
- Election results, 2026 — Ballotpedia
- Annie Andrews — Wikipedia
- Amy Acton — Wikipedia
- Rob Sand — Wikipedia
- Peggy Flanagan — Wikipedia
- Post by Annie Andrews on X — X
- Post by Amy Acton on X — X
- Post by Rob Sand on X — X
- Post by Peggy Flanagan on X — X