SC’s US Senate race between Graham, Harrison more competitive with new rating change
South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race between three-term incumbent Republican Lindsey Graham and his Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison is becoming more competitive, according to a political campaign ratings publication.
The Cook Political Report on Monday shifted the Senate race from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican.”
The ratings change follows polling that showed the race tied, including an August Quinnipiac University poll that had each candidate at 44 percent with fewer than three months to go before Election Day. Graham’s campaign has questioned the methodology of the polling, saying it did not ask enough Republicans in South Carolina to project an accurate estimate of where the electorate stands. It also dismissed an earlier poll because it was conducted online.
Graham’s campaign said it’s own internal polls shows the senator is on track to win reelection.
“South Carolinians don’t give any credence to political prognostications based on skewed polls and millions of liberal dollars from California,” T.W. Arrighi, Graham’s campaign spokesman, said Monday. “Our internal polling has us on track for a decisive victory in November, but Senator Graham is fighting for every vote as he never takes anything for granted.”
Harrison’s campaign disagrees.
“Once again, the race has shifted in favor of Jaime Harrison’s movement to bring hope back to all 46 counties of South Carolina,” said Guy King, Harrison’s spokesman. “Every day, more voters are turning towards Jaime Harrison, who they know will bring back integrity and principled leadership to this U.S. Senate seat.”
Both candidates have been able to raise large sums of money.
Graham has so far raised $30.9 million this cycle and Harrison is close behind at $28.9 million, with most of the money in both accounts from outside of South Carolina. Meanwhile, Harrison has outraised Graham in the last two fundraising quarters.
Their campaign accounts, along with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent protests over racial injustice, may also have given Harrison, a former S.C. Democratic Party chairman, a boost in the election, said Jessica Taylor with the Cook Political Report.
“While there are still large hurdles that remain for Harrison to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from South Carolina since 1998, it’s clear this race is becoming more competitive, and Graham faces an incredibly strong challenge,” Taylor said.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 10:58 AM with the headline "SC’s US Senate race between Graham, Harrison more competitive with new rating change."
