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Graham, Harrison need to win ‘narrow group’ of SC voters in next debate

Danielle Vinson, Department of Politics and International Affairs.

Last updated October 12, 2020

By Tina Underwood

In the South Carolina U.S. Senate race, the two contenders for the seat are in a dead heat according to political observers. Three-term U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has inched ahead of Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison by only one percentage point says another poll. In the debate leading up to the one scheduled for Oct. 9 (which didn’t happen), both candidates succeeded in appealing to their bases, said Danielle Vinson ’89, professor of politics and international affairs at Furman University. She spoke to Joseph Bustos of The State, in an article that also appeared in Myrtle Beach Online (no subscription required).

“If you’re concerned about conservative justices and want them on the Supreme Court, then Graham is your guy,” Vinson said. “For Harrison, I think he was able to mostly portray that he’s not of the progressive wing of the party but is more of a mainstream Democrat and combat that sort of image of him that that the Republicans are trying to paint.”

Referring to a sliver of about 3 to 9% undecided voters, Vinson said both Graham and Harrison are “fighting over a very narrow group of people right now.”

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