Graham opponent says he raised $1M in a day after poll showed tied race

South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison announced Thursday that he raised $1 million within a day after a poll found him tied with incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham (R).

“Y’all, I am speechless. We have raised over $1 MILLION in the last 24 hours,” Harrison tweeted. 

“This campaign is powered by you. It is funded by you. It is inspired by you. Together, we are going to make history in 47 days. We are going to beat @LindseyGrahamSC,” Harrison added.

Y’all, I am speechless. We have raised over $1 MILLION in the last 24 hours

This campaign is powered by you. It is funded by you. It is inspired by you. Together, we are going to make history in 47 days. We are going to beat @LindseyGrahamSC.

— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) September 17, 2020

A Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday found Graham and Harrison garnering 48 percent support each among likely voters in South Carolina. 

Graham has won reelection by double-digit margins since he was first elected in 2002, but Harrison has emerged as a formidable challenger, raising millions for his campaign in the state President Trump carried by more than 14 points in 2016. The Cook Political Report rates the race as “lean” Republican.

The Quinnipiac poll also found that Graham’s support narrowly trails that of Trump, while Harrison slightly outperforms Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, raising questions over conservatives’ argument that Trump’s support among his base will help lift GOP candidates down-ballot. 

Graham held a cash advantage over Harrison at the end of July, with the Republican reporting $15 million in cash reserves compared to Harrison’s $10.2 million. 

A win in the South Carolina Senate race would help Democrats as they seek to pick up three or four Senate seats — depending on which party wins control of the White House — to take control of the Senate. In addition to the increasingly tight race in South Carolina, several GOP senators are in vulnerable positions heading into November including tight races in North Carolina, Montana, Maine, Iowa, Georgia and Colorado.