Madeleine Carlisle

The last time South Carolina elected a Democrat to the Senate was in 1998, and until around 8 o’clock tonight, there wasn’t a lot of reason to think that streak would end any time soon. The Palmetto State has been steadfastly Republican, launching the careers of some of the biggest stars in GOP politics, including the late Senator Lindsey Graham. With Graham’s sister running to succeed him, a continuation of Republican dominance seemed all but assured.

In a conversation at The Atlantic Festival with The Atlantic’s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg warned fellow members of the Democratic Party to resist the urge to revert to “the previous status quo” if they regain power in the midterms.