Overview
- Graham, who won the Republican runoff on Tuesday with President Donald Trump’s backing, used her victory speech to launch her general-election campaign by attacking Dr. Annie Andrews’ support for expanded or "government-run" health care.
- In the speech Graham said her parents "had to get up and go to work" when they were sick and that her mother died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 51 and her father about 15 months later after a heart attack.
- A clip of the remarks drew widespread online criticism and mocking, with critics arguing the anecdote undercut Graham’s attack on expanded care and instead highlighted the need for paid sick leave and broader access.
- Andrews responded on CNN by calling Graham’s message a ‘‘work hard ’til you die’’ approach and said Graham’s parents ‘‘deserved better,’’ using her medical background to press for policy change.
- The episode puts health care messaging at the center of the race for the seat held by Graham’s late brother and gives Democrats a concrete theme to press in the fall campaign over paid leave and access to care.