Aside from Amy McGrath, the Democrat challenging McConnell in Kentucky, no other Democratic Senate candidate has raked in more than Harrison, who’s reported raising roughly $30 million—a staggering sum for this relatively small state.
"I'm running against a guy who cares more about his own political relevance and his political power than he does addressing the issues that people are dealing with here on a day-to-day basis. It also guarantees fresh relevance for his past statements and moves on judicial appointments. Likely voters in South Carolina name law and order (23 percent) as the most important issue in deciding who to vote for in the U.S. Senate race, followed by the economy (22 percent), the coronavirus pandemic (12 percent), racial inequality (12 percent), and the Supreme Court (11 percent).
The survey shows both candidates at 48% support among likely voters, with 3% undecided. But Harrison’s team had also found themselves on the defensive recently after The Washington Free Beacon reported on a pair of Harrison’s key staffers’ offensive past social media history, which included one of them using a derogatory and homophobic term. Most everyone following the heated U.S. Senate contest in South Carolina recognizes that the opening of a U.S. Supreme Court seat—six weeks before Election Day—has shifted the balance of the race. As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Graham will run any confirmation hearing for a Trump pick. This money is because they hate my guts,” he continued. “Outspent and accused by some of being a Trump apologist, he is in a precarious tie.”. Harrison, 44, is an associate chairman of the Democratic National Committee and had served as the chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party from 2013 to 2017.
Graham strongly supported controversial Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in confirmation hearings and has frequently attended golf outings with Trump. “He's lost his independence.”. But even amongst Democrats in the state there were differing opinions about whether Graham’s new Supreme Court stance merely further drives the Democratic base in the state or if it will broaden chances at moderate defections from Graham to Harrison. He's not the same person," Harrison told the “Axios On HBO” program earlier this month. The dramatic turn of events has already drawn passionate reactions on both sides of the aisle as the South Carolina race, once in the long shot column for Democrats, enters a critical stretch. "I'm running against a guy who cares more about his own political relevance and his political power than he does addressing the issues that people are dealing with here on a day-to-day basis.". In the second quarter of the year, Harrison raised nearly $14 million, while Graham brought in $8.4 million. He's not the same person," Harrison told the “Axios on HBO” program earlier this month. Some Democrats in the state were quick to point out that while Graham had been able to win some goodwill from Democrats in the past, Trump’s election and the senator’s support of the president has given them an opportunity to capitalize. And the party also sees opportunity in replaying Graham’s words from 2016—when he defended blocking Barack Obama’s pick for the high court until the November election—over and over again on the TV airwaves with the tens of millions of dollars Harrison has raised so far. “Sen. “These are good people and they see the hypocrisy,” Lewis said. Graham, 65, has served as South Carolina’s senator since 2003 and was in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. Harrison has emphasized his working-class background and attacked Graham for being too close to Trump, and portrayed him as out of touch with South Carolinians. Back then, said the GOP, the voters needed to decide in November who would get to confirm his replacement. “If this does that, it’s not a net gain for Jaime… Graham doesn’t have to appeal to any Democrats.”.
“A victor by almost 16 points back in 2014, Graham stares down the first real test of his Senate tenure,” Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy said about the survey. Yes it does,” Jowers said. Some Democrats see two big opportunities with Graham’s high court machinations under the microscope. While the senator has explained away his 2016 declarations, some Democrats believe that the hypocrisy of Graham’s statements will be clear enough to peel away a number of independent or even GOP-leaning voters.
Graham had entered the race as the clear favorite but Harrison has seen a surge in fundraising. South Carolina District 07 › Top Contributors These tables list the top donors to candidates in the 2015-2020 Senate election cycle The organizations themselves did not donate , rather the money came from the organizations' PACs, their individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate families. In the second quarter, Harrison received $14 million in donations, while Graham brought in $8.4 million. The staffers are not leaving the campaign but both apologized and Harrison has denounced the tweets, The Post and Courier reported last week. A Quinnipiac University poll released last Wednesday showed Graham tied with Harrison, each with 48 percent of the vote. Deborah Rodriguez, chair of the Colleton County Democratic Party, said she thinks it will “matter to people who maybe are on the fence," as she pointed to it creating trust issues with the senator.