Need to catch up on the SC Senate race? Here’s a guide to the Graham-Harrison contest
The race between Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and his Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison has captured attention across the country — and soon it will be decided.
Both candidates make regular appearances on cable news channels and have raised more than $180 million combined through the third quarter of this year. That cash has resulted in South Carolina residents being inundated with advertisements on television, radio and digital platforms.
The race has seen twists and turns as campaigns have fought over who has a wealthier lifestyle, argued over police reform, the COVID-19 response and health care policy, and filling a seat on the Supreme Court.
The well-funded campaigns have led to lots of coverage about the historic race. But if you’ve somehow missed details, The State’s politics team has you covered.
Introducing, your procrastinator’s guide to the U.S. Senate contest:
In their own words
The State sent candidates surveys asking them for their positions on everything from COVID-19 and health care policy, to system racism and abortion. Here’s what Graham and Harrison said:
The horse race
Graham started the race with a substantial lead over Harrison as the challenger built his name ID and his campaign. Then the contest tightened, with Harrison getting within striking distance and even surpassing Graham in some polls. One recent poll had Graham pulling ahead, but another poll put Harrison in the lead.
With Graham favored to win, how is Harrison angling for the upset victory
Lead changes in Graham-Harrison SC Senate race, latest Morning Consult poll shows
Graham widens lead in new SC Senate poll as Supreme Court confirmation hearings begin
NY Times puts Lindsey Graham with 6-point lead over Jaime Harrison in SC Senate race
The Cook Political Report shifts SC Senate race rating to a ‘toss-up’
Graham, Harrison battling over a narrow group of SC voters
Poll: Where SC voters stand on Graham-Harrison race, when to fill Supreme Court seat
Battle over Supreme Court seat could help Graham in SC Senate race, forecaster says
On the campaign trail
In-person campaigning this year has been limited in scope because of the pandemic. Graham had done small press conferences, and Harrison kept to a mostly virtual schedule. As the election has drawn closer, the two candidates have participated in debates and both have gone on to the campaign trail. Harrison has held drive-in rallies that often appear to be like presidential candidate events. Graham has held a bus tour around the state, and had a visit from Vice President Mike Pence.
In final debate, Graham and Harrison accuse each other of deception
Despite differences, Tea Party and other conservatives back Graham
‘The rule of law has no greater champion than ... Senator (Graham),’ VP Pence says
Harrison works to shore Black vote with Common and Charlamagne tha God
‘He is nervous and he should be,’ Jaime Harrison says of Lindsey Graham at SC rally
Harrison holds event in soy bean field, but he’s not done with virtual campaigning
Graham calls on Harrison to return money from group that supports defunding the police
SC’s Graham, Harrison spar separately after COVID-19 testing derails debate
SC’s Graham, Harrison square off in first Senate debate over COVID-19, Supreme Court
Lindsey Graham wins support from Constitution Party challenger in SC Senate race
Fundraising and spending
Graham and Harrison have combined to raise more than $180 million allowing them to flood the television screens, radio airwaves and digital platforms with advertising. Most of the money, for both campaigns, in this race has come from outside of the state.
Harrison’s surpasses $100 million raised for the campaign, Graham reaches $74 million raised
Harrison raises a record amount of cash in third quarter of 2020 in SC’s Senate race
Harrison is set to outspend Graham 7-to-1 on SC airwaves in last month of election
Graham campaign sets a Senate Republican fundraising record in SC’s competitive race
With Lincoln Project looming, South Carolina Senate race could become multi-front battle
‘It’s 24 people:’ Meet the SC donors defecting from Lindsey Graham to Jaime Harrison
Controversial remarks
In such a hotly contested, closely watched race, every comment candidates make could become the subject of some controversy or taken out of context. And staff members of candidates are not exempt from being held under the microscope.
Ethics complaints filed against SC’s Graham after he sought donations in Senate building
Accusations of racism in Graham-Harrison race permeate SC Senate campaign
Graham’s Black candidate remark at debate went viral. What he said to SC voters
SCGOP wants Harrison staffers to resign after their old offensive tweets surfaced
Jaime Harrison campaign aides apologize for their old homophobic, anti-Semitic tweets
Graham says he did wear a mask at Trump speech, despite Harrison’s claim
The debate over the Supreme Court
The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg threw a late wrench into the Senate election. Democrats said Republicans moved too quickly to confirm Justice Amy Coney Barrett before an election. Harrison hasn’t said outright whether he would have voted to confirm Barrett if he were in the Senate because he has questions on where she stands on civil rights gained throughout the year. Graham, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman was in the middle of the confirmation process.
Is SC’s Lindsey Graham playing politics with Supreme Court picks? Here’s his record
‘Where are you?’: In SC, Graham hits Harrison for silence on Barrett’s qualifications
As SC’s Graham meets with Supreme Court nominee, Harrison weighs in
SC’s Graham promises to hold hearing on Trump Supreme Court nominee and ‘do my job’
SC Senate hopeful Harrison says packing court, ending filibuster open Pandora’s box
A look at their wealth, income
Graham and Harrison have pointed at each other’s incomes and lifestyles, and accused each of using their involvement in politics to enrich themselves. So how much did each candidate earn over the years, and where did it all come from?
How much did Jaime Harrison earn? What his tax returns say
How does Senator Graham make his money? What his tax returns say
Graham takes aim at Harrison’s lobbying history in new campaign ad
Harrison slams lavish Graham campaign spending on private golf clubs, planes in TV ad
This story was originally published October 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
