Poll: Graham leads Harrison by 6 points in SC Senate race

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is leading his Democratic opponent Jaime Harrison by 6 points in the race for the state’s Senate seat, according to a new recent New York Times/Siena College poll released Thursday. 

According to the poll, Graham registered 46 percent support among likely voters in comparison to Harrison, who received 40 percent support in the poll. Graham leads Harrison 1.5 points outside of the poll’s 4.5 percent margin of error, but the numbers indicate that the race may still be tight. 

Eighty-nine percent of Republicans support Graham in the poll, but only 26 percent of voters said they viewed him favorably.

Forty-five percent of participants said that they trusted Harrison, compared to 41 percent who said the same of Graham. 

Twelve percent of Black participants in the survey are undecided about the Senate race, according to the poll. 

The latest poll comes as Graham faces the steepest campaign challenge of his Senate career after Harrison raised a record $57 million in the third quarter this year. Earlier this month, the Cook Political Report, an election handicapper, moved the race from “lean Republican” to a “toss up.” 

The survey also polled likely voters on the presidential race, with President Trump garnering 49 percent support compared to former Vice President Joe Biden, who garnered 41 percent support. Trump won the Palmetto State by 14 points in 2016 against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Biden’s polling numbers may suggest that the Democrat has some draw among voters in the traditionally red state.  

Former President Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat to win South Carolina in 1976. 

The recent boost for Graham comes amid the the Senate confirmation process of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. Graham, as the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, has presided over the matter, where he has sought to bolster support during a process that has proven popular with Republicans. 

Barrett’s confirmation has acted a political life preserver for the incumbent senator as he seeks to defeat Harrison this November. 

The poll was conducted from Oct. 9-15 among 605 South Carolina likely voters.