Graham challenger proposes four debates

South Carolina Democrat Jaime Harrison is challenging Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to a series of four debates after the two won their respective primaries in the Palmetto State’s Senate race.

Just hours after he officially became the Democratic nominee, Harrison sent the three-term incumbent a letter saying South Carolina voters deserve to hear policies from their candidates, particularly as the state and the country face a multitude of crises.

“While we may disagree on many issues, I am sure we can agree that Palmetto State voters deserve to hear where we each stand on the vital questions facing South Carolina and the country. We have to rescue our economy from the turmoil caused by coronavirus, prepare our children for the future, and keep our country safe. The challenges we face at this very moment are too high stakes,” Harrison wrote.

“In the past, you have debated your opponents, and as we face difficult times debates continue to be an essential part of the democratic process,” he added, demanding that one of the four debates take place at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

Graham dispatched with three Republican candidates in the primary Tuesday, while Harrison ran unopposed.

Harrison, a former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, has seen strong fundraising this year on the back of strong Democratic interest in defeating Graham, and he has the backing of several high-profile Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). 

However, Graham remains the heavy favorite in a state that is reliably Republican, voting for President Trump by 14 points in 2016. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates the South Carolina Senate race as “likely Republican.”

Graham’s campaign said it would look forward to debating Harrison, hinting it intends to hit him over his ties to national Democrats and his past affiliation with the Democratic National Committee.

“Debates will be a chance for Jaime Harrison to explain why he has spent $3.2 million on ads but hasn’t mentioned in a single one of them that he’s a Democrat or that he works as the Associate Chairman of the Democratic National Committee,” it said. “Senator Graham looks forward to the chance to debate these and many other issues.”