The Senate race in the generally surefire red state has become unexpectedly competitive between Graham and Harrison. The Democratic candidate has managed to outraise his opponent thanks to small-dollar online donations. In the second fundraising quarter, Harrison raised almost $14 million to Graham's $8.4 million. In August alone, he took in more than $10 million. On top of all that, Democratic super PAC Senate Majority PAC said they'd throw in an additional $6.5 million for ads this week. Harrison's pockets are so loooooong that's he's got Graham on Fox News pleading for donations. This is absolutely going to be a down-to-the-wire fight.
Let's look at two recent ads in the Palmetto State:
This week, a Quinnipiac University poll determined both candidates were tied at 48 percent, while a CBS News/YouGov poll saw Graham leading by one point, 45 percent to Harrison's 44 percent. Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said in a news release that Graham is "facing the fight of his political life" to protect a Senate seat that hasn't been occupied by a Democrat in over 20 years.
By all calculations, though, Harrison still has a narrow path to victory. His coalition needs to include Black voters, independents (though a third-party candidate just endorsed Graham), and disaffected conservatives if he wants to snatch victory out of Graham's gnarled little claws. We'll keep an eye on him.
