Graham, Harrison in statistical tie in Senate race: internal poll

Democrat Jaime Harrison’s Senate campaign released an internal poll on Monday finding him in a statistical tie with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

The survey, conducted by veteran Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher, finds Graham at 43 percent and Harrison at 41 percent. That’s within the survey’s 3.5-point margin of error.

The poll found that 51 percent of respondents disapprove of the job Graham is doing. About 33 percent of South Carolina voters polled said Graham deserves to be reelected, with 59 percent saying it’s time for someone new.

“The polling paints a clear picture: This is a close and competitive race,” said Belcher, the president of Brilliant Corners Research and Strategies. “A majority of voters don’t think Lindsey Graham deserves to be re-elected, and the more they learn about Jaime Harrison, the more they support him.”

Harrison still faces an uphill climb to defeating Graham, who is well-known in South Carolina and a staunch ally of President Trump.

The Democratic poll found Trump leading presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden by 8 points in the Palmetto State. Trump won there by 14 points in 2016.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has the state’s Senate race rated as “likely” Republican.

Still, Harrison raised an astonishing $13.9 million in the second quarter, compared to $8.4 million for Graham.

The internal poll found Harrison leading by 13 points among millennials and 7 points among suburban voters.

“This grassroots movement has been gaining momentum ever since Jaime entered the race last year,” said Harrison campaign spokesperson Guy King. “South Carolina voters across the political spectrum see that Lindsey Graham is a shell of his former self. As he continues to play political games in Washington, Jaime Harrison is continuing to fight to restore hope in our state, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on the health, safety and economic security of South Carolina families.” 

The poll of 800 likely South Carolina voters was conducted between July 13 and July 19 and has a 3.5-percentage-point margin of error.