South Carolina is traditionally red, but in the past few months, there was a growing sense of hope that Jaime Harrison could win the Senate seat that Lindsey Graham has held for almost 18 years. In the end, though, Lindsey Graham was able to pull off a win.
Before the results were in Harrison remarked, “Regardless of how tonight goes, we’ve already won. We’ve inspired a new generation of leaders here in South Carolina.”
Harrison did win when it comes to fundraising, but it wasn’t enough to propel him. The ABC affiliate in Columbia, South Carolina wrote:
The contest has been propelled by an onslaught of spending from both candidates as well as a slew of third-party groups. Harrison has bested all Senate fundraising records, becoming the first candidate to amass a war chest of more than $100 million, $57 million of which came in a single quarter — a record on its own.
Graham has raised about $67 million, and his third-quarter haul of $28 million represented a quarterly record for any GOP Senate candidate.
They add, “Having defeated all previous opponents by double-digit margins,” Graham acknowledged, Harrison was the biggest challenge he ever faced.