COLUMBIA, S.C. — Overcoming the toughest challenge of his political career, Sen. Lindsey Graham won re-election to a fourth term Tuesday night, defeating Democratic nominee Jaime Harrison.
Fox News and The Associated Press called the race at about 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Polls had the race tied at points in August and September. But it appeared the race took a turn in Mr. Graham’s favor when Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, energizing conservative voters who saw President Donald Trump cement a conservative majority on the high court with the appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Mr. Graham, who trailed in fundraising and campaign advertising, chaired Justice Barrett’s televised confirmation hearings, giving him increased exposure to voters.
One poll in September found 54% of South Carolinians wanted to move forward with filling Justice Ginsburg’s seat before the election.
Even though Mr. Harrison raised more money than Mr. Graham, setting an all-time Senate candidate record, Mr. Graham’s win Tuesday showed what some political observers suspected: that there’s a ceiling to how much money can move the needle in a campaign.
“It’s the reality of South Carolina being a Republican state, continuing what’s been a pretty impressive streak of Republicans winning statewide,” said Gibbs Knotts, a College of Charleston political science professor.
Even though Mr. Graham trailed Mr. Harrison in fundraising through Oct. 14, he still brought in $74 million, a healthy amount of cash for his re-election effort.
“To be able to not raise as much money as Jaime Harrison but being able to raise still just an unbelievable amount of money to also get his message out, I think that was a key,” Mr. Knotts said.
Mr. Graham banked on his relationship with Mr. Trump and his win in helping to confirm Justice Barrett to the Supreme Court to bring him a victory in South Carolina, whose voters have favored Republicans in the presidential and statewide races for years.
Mr. Graham over the years has shifted more to the right, away from previously moderate stances that once led to him being censured by some local GOP groups within the state.
Mr. Graham also won despite Mr. Harrison’s campaign promoting Constitution Party nominee Bill Bledsoe as more conservative than Mr. Graham. The move was widely seen as an attempt to sway conservative voters to cast their ballots for Mr. Bledsoe, who said he had dropped out of the race despite remaining on the ballot, instead of Mr. Graham, to help Mr. Harrison close the gap.
First Published: November 4, 2020, 3:35 a.m.
