Lindsey Graham Is In A Dead Heat With Democratic Challenger Jaime Harrison, Poll Shows

A new poll shows that South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham could be in danger of losing his seat, with Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison now in a dead heat with the incumbent Republican.

The Quinnipiac University survey released on Wednesday showed that Harrison and Graham were tied at 48 percent support ahead of November’s election. Though the state has leaned strongly red in the past and Graham has won previous races by a wide margin, the Democratic challenger has made it a close race. A series of polls have shown him in a statistical tie with his opponent.

The margin between the two remains the same from the previous Quinnipiac survey, according to The Week, though the opinions of voters appear to be finalizing with more of the once-undecided voters making up their minds as Election Day draws closer. The opponents were tied at 44 percent in the previous polling.

The newest survey found that, in terms of likability, voters favor the Democratic candidate. A total of 47 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of Harrison, while 34 percent said they had an unfavorable view of him. Graham’s likeability was five points underwater, with voters viewing him unfavorably by a 49-44 margin.

As The Week noted, the results are a good sign for Democrats looking to take back control of the U.S. Senate. While the contest represents a potential flip for the party, other contests appeared within reach as well.

“After a poll released earlier Wednesday put Democrat Mark Kelly 10 points over Sen. Martha McSally (R) in Arizona, a Quinnipiac University poll out Wednesday gave Sara Gideon a similar edge over Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine.),” the report noted.

But as Fox News reported, Graham pushed back against the findings, saying he believed the methodology was flawed.

“It undercounts Republicans by 10-12 points,” he said. “But having said that, we’re taking it seriously.”

Graham has become a target nationally because of his close ties with President Donald Trump. After being a critic of the then-candidate during the 2016 presidential race, Graham has since turned into one of Trump’s fiercest defenders, and opponents have sought to emphasize the ties between the two.

Even some members of his own party have taken aim at Graham. As The Inquisitr reported, the anti-Trump group Republican Voters Against Trump released an ad in June showing footage of the South Carolina senator’s past criticism of the president, including calling him a “race baiting, xenophobic religious bigot” back in 2015.