The 2020 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of South Carolina, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
November 3, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 72.1% | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Graham: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Harrison: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% No data | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Senator Lindsey Graham won re-election for a fourth term and defeated Democratic nominee Jaime Harrison. Bill Bledsoe was also on the ballot, representing the Constitution Party. The primary elections were held on June 9, 2020.
Despite forecasting throughout the last few months of the race showing a very close race as well as Harrison having record fundraising numbers, Graham defeated Harrison by 54.4% to 44.2% and a margin of 10.2% in the November 3, 2020 general election. Harrison slightly outperformed Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the concurrent presidential election, who lost to President Donald Trump by 11.7% in South Carolina. The election coincidentally saw Graham and his Democratic opponent win approximately the same percentage points as in the 2002 senate race, in which Graham won his first term.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Lindsey Graham, incumbent U.S. senator
Eliminated in primary
- Dwayne “Duke” Buckner, attorney and Owner of Buckner Law Firm located in Walterboro
- Michael J. LaPierre, businessman
- Joe Reynolds, Chief Engineer in the U.S. Merchant Marine
Withdrew
- Johnny Garcia, Air Force veteran
- Peggy Kandies, Charleston art teacher, home decorator, and former IBM employee
- Mark Sloan, Greer minister and manufacturing executive
- David Weikle, radio host, U.S. Marine veteran, and candidate for the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2018 (switched to the Libertarian primary)
Declined
- Eric Bolling, former Fox News host
- Mark Burns, Easley pastor and former candidate for South Carolina's 4th congressional district in 2018
- Harlan Hill, Republican (formerly Democratic) political consultant and commentator
- John Warren, Greenville businessman and candidate for Governor of South Carolina in 2018
- Carey Wilson
Endorsements
Lindsey Graham
U.S. Executive Branch officials
- Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States (2017-2021)
- Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States (2017-2021)
Governors
- Henry McMaster, Governor of South Carolina (2017–present)
State officials
- Pamela Evette, Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (2019–present)
- Mark Hammond, Secretary of State of South Carolina (2003–present)
- Curtis Loftis, Treasurer of South Carolina (2011–present)
- Alan Wilson, Attorney General of South Carolina (2011–present)
Organizations
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Lindsey Graham | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change Research | June 11–14, 2019 | 1,183 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 70% | 4% | 26% |
Hypothetical polling
with Generic Republican
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Lindsey Graham | Generic Republican | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change Research | June 11–14, 2019 | 1,183 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 79% | 19% | 2% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lindsey Graham (incumbent) | 317,512 | 67.69% | |
| Republican | Michael LaPierre | 79,932 | 17.04% | |
| Republican | Joe Reynolds | 43,029 | 9.17% | |
| Republican | Dwayne "Duke" Buckner | 28,570 | 6.09% | |
| Total votes | 469,043 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jaime Harrison, former chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party and associate chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Withdrawn
- Gloria Bromell Tinubu, former Georgia state representative, candidate for Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina in 2018, and nominee for South Carolina's 7th congressional district in 2012 and 2014 (endorsed Jaime Harrison)
- William Stone, legal researcher
- Justin Wooton, activist
Declined
- Mandy Powers Norrell, state representative and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2018 (running for reelection)
- Bakari Sellers, political commentator and former state representative
Endorsements
Jaime Harrison (D)
Former U.S. Executive Branch officials
- Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States (2009–2017), former Senator from Illinois (2005-2008)
- Joe Biden, 47th vice president of the United States (2009-2017), Democratic nominee for the 2020 United States presidential election.
- Julian Castro, former HUD Secretary (2014–2017), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Hillary Clinton, 2016 Democratic nominee for President, Former Secretary of State (2009–2013), former U.S. Senator from New York (2001–2009), former First Lady of the United States (1993–2001), former First Lady of Arkansas (1979–1981, 1983–1992)
U.S. senators
- Kamala Harris, senator for California (2017–2021), Vice Presidential nominee and former candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Cory Booker, senator for New Jersey (2013–present), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Kirsten Gillibrand, senator for New York (2009–present), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Amy Klobuchar, senator for Minnesota (2007–present), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Elizabeth Warren, senator for Massachusetts (2013–present), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Former U.S. Senators
- Barbara Boxer, former senator for California (1993–2017).
U.S. representatives
- Jim Clyburn, representative from South Carolina (1993-present).
- Eric Swalwell, representative for California's 15th Congressional District (2013–present), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, representative for New York's 14th Congressional District (2019–present).
Former U.S. Representatives
- John Delaney, former representative for Maryland's 6th Congressional District (2013–2019), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Tom Perriello, former representative for Virginia's 5th Congressional District (2009–2011).
- Tim Ryan, representative for Ohio's 13th Congressional District (2003–2023), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Joe Walsh, former representative for Illinois' 8th Congressional District (2011-2013), former candidate for 2020 Republican presidential nomination
Governors
- Steve Bullock, Governor of Montana (2013–2021), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Former governors
- Jim Hodges, former governor of South Carolina (1999–2003).
State officials
- Alison L. Grimes, former secretary of state of Kentucky (2012–2020).
- David Pepper, chair of the Ohio Democratic Party (2015–2020).
Local officials
- Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012–2020) and former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, New York (2014–2021), former candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
- Andrew Gillum, former mayor of Tallahassee, Florida (2014–2018); Democratic nominee for governor in 2018.
Individuals
- Charlie Adler, voice actor and activist
- Randy Bryce, ironworker and 2018 candidate for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District.
- Mark Hamill, actor, voice actor, and writer.
- Chelsea Handler, actress and comedian.
- Alex Hirsch, animator, writer and voice actor
- Andy Lassner, executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
- Jane Lynch, actress.
- Dean Obeidallah, comedian and host of The Dean Obeidallah Show.
- Sarah Paulson, actress.
- Shonda Rhimes, television producer, television and film writer, and author.
- Bradley Whitford, actor.
Organizations
- Broader Representation Advocacy Team (BRAT-PAC)
- Climate Hawks Vote
- The Collective PAC
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Council for a Livable World
- DUH! Demand Universal Healthcare
- Democracy for America
- Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- End Citizens United
- Everytown for Gun Safety
- Flip the Senate
- Giffords
- Human Rights Campaign
- League of Conservation Voters
- MoveOn
- NARAL Pro-Choice America
- Students for Gun Legislation
- National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
- National Organization for Women
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund
- Population Connection
- Progressive Turnout Project
Other candidates
Libertarian Party
General Election write-in candidate
- Keenan Wallace Dunham, chair of the Horry County Libertarian Party
Withdrawn
- David Weikle, radio show host, U.S. marine veteran, and candidate for the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2018 (remained on ballot)
Constitution Party
- Bill Bledsoe, Libertarian Party and Constitution Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2016 (unofficially withdrew on October 1, 2020, and endorsed Graham, but still remained on the ballot as an active candidate)
Independents
Withdrawn
- Lloyd Williams
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report | Tossup | October 29, 2020 |
| Inside Elections | Tilt R | October 28, 2020 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean R | November 2, 2020 |
| Daily Kos | Lean R | October 30, 2020 |
| Politico | Lean R | November 2, 2020 |
| RCP | Tossup | October 23, 2020 |
| DDHQ | Lean R | November 3, 2020 |
| 538 | Likely R | November 2, 2020 |
| Economist | Lean R | November 2, 2020 |
Advertisements
Jaime Harrison ran a number of ads attempting to attract conservative voters from Lindsey Graham by elevating Constitution Party candidate Bill Bledsoe as "too conservative—but in doing so, the would-be attack ad offers up right-wing voters a laundry list of things to like about him". Bledsoe endorsed Graham after withdrawing from the race, but his name remained on the ballot. He criticized the ads as fraudulent.
Meanwhile, Graham ran ads attempting to brand Harrison as a diehard liberal while connecting him with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.
Additional general election endorsements
Lindsey Graham (R)
U.S. Executive Branch officials
- Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations (2017–2018) and Governor of South Carolina (2011–2017)
Jaime Harrison (D)
U.S. representatives
- Joe Cunningham, representative for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District
Notable Individuals
- Stephen King, author
Organizations
- Black Economic Alliance
- Center for Biological Diversity
- J Street PAC
- Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund
- Sierra Club
- Working Families Party
Unions
- United Auto Workers
Newspapers and Publications
- The State
Polling
Graphical summary
View source data.
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Lindsey Graham (R) | Jaime Harrison (D) | Other / Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0ptimus | October 31 – November 2, 2020 | 817 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 51% | 41% | 7% |
| Data For Progress | October 27 – November 1, 2020 | 1,121 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 49% | 46% | 5% |
| Swayable | October 23 – November 1, 2020 | 416 (LV) | ± 7.5% | 46% | 52% | 2% |
| Morning Consult | October 22–31, 2020 | 904 (LV) | ± 3% | 46% | 44% | – |
| Data for Progress | October 22–27, 2020 | 1,196 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 46% | 46% | 8% |
| Starboard Communications | October 26, 2020 | 800 (LV) | – | 52% | 43% | 6% |
| East Carolina University | October 24–25, 2020 | 763 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 49% | 47% | 3% |
| Morning Consult | October 11–20, 2020 | 926 (LV) | ± 3.2% | 45% | 47% | – |
| Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies (D) | October 11–16, 2020 | 525 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 45% | 47% | 8% |
| Siena College/NYT Upshot | October 9–14, 2020 | 605 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 46% | 40% | 14% |
| Data for Progress | October 8–11, 2020 | 801 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 46% | 47% | 7% |
| Morning Consult | October 2–11, 2020 | 903 (LV) | ± 3% | 48% | 42% | – |
| ALG Research (D) | September 29 – October 5, 2020 | 711 (LV) | – | 46% | 46% | 8% |
| GBAO Strategies (D) | September 24–28, 2020 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 47% | 48% | 3% |
| Data for Progress (D) | September 23–28, 2020 | 824 (LV) | ± 3.4% | 45% | 44% | 11% |
| 47% | 46% | 7% | ||||
| Quinnipiac University | September 23–27, 2020 | 1,123 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 48% | 48% | 3% |
| YouGov | September 22–25, 2020 | 1,080 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 45% | 44% | 11% |
| Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies (D) | September 21–24, 2020 | 608 (LV) | ± 4% | 43% | 45% | 13% |
| Morning Consult | September 11–20, 2020 | 764 (LV) | ± (3% – 4%) | 46% | 45% | 9% |
| Morning Consult | September 8–17, 2020 | 782 (LV) | ± (2% – 4%) | 45% | 46% | – |
| Quinnipiac University | September 10–14, 2020 | 969 (LV) | ± 3.2% | 48% | 48% | 3% |
| Morning Consult | September 2–11, 2020 | ~764 (LV) | ± (3%-4%) | 44% | 46% | – |
| Morning Consult | August 23 – September 1, 2020 | ~764 (LV) | ± (3%-4%) | 46% | 43% | – |
| Morning Consult | August 13–22, 2020 | ~764 (LV) | ± (3%-4%) | 45% | 42% | – |
| Morning Consult | August 3–12, 2020 | ~764 (LV) | ± (3%-4%) | 45% | 45% | – |
| Quinnipiac University | July 30 – August 3, 2020 | 914 (RV) | ± 3.2% | 44% | 44% | 12% |
| Morning Consult | July 24 – August 2, 2020 | 741 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 44% | 43% | 12% |
| Morning Consult | July 23 – August 1, 2020 | ~764 (LV) | ± (3%-4%) | 44% | 43% | – |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | July 30–31, 2020 | 1,117 (V) | ± 3.0% | 47% | 44% | 8% |
| Morning Consult | July 13–22, 2020 | ~764 (LV) | ± (3%-4%) | 46% | 42% | – |
| ALG Research (D) | July 15–20, 2020 | 591 (LV) | – | 49% | 45% | 6% |
| Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies (D) | July 13–19, 2020 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 43% | 41% | 16% |
| Gravis Marketing | July 17, 2020 | 604 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 48% | 41% | 10% |
| Civiqs/Daily Kos | May 23–26, 2020 | 591 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 42% | 42% | 16% |
| Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies (D) | March 3–11, 2020 | 804 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 47% | 43% | 9% |
| NBC News/Marist | February 18–21, 2020 | 2,382 (RV) | ± 2.6% | 54% | 37% | 9% |
| East Carolina University | January 31 – February 2, 2020 | 1,756 (RV) | ± 2.7% | 51% | 38% | 11% |
| Change Research | December 6–11, 2019 | 998 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 47% | 45% | 9% |
| Benchmark Research (R) | October 15–21, 2019 | 450 (RV) | ± 4.2% | 53% | 30% | 18% |
| Change Research (D) | September 17–21, 2019 | 809 (LV) | ± 3.4% | 50% | 43% | 7% |
| Change Research | June 11–14, 2019 | 2,312 (RV) | ± 2.0% | 52% | 35% | 13% |
| WPA Intelligence (R) | March 11–13, 2019 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 55% | 32% | 12% |
Hypothetical polling
with generic Democrat
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Lindsey Graham (R) | Generic Democrat | Other / Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change Research | June 11–14, 2019 | 2,312 (RV) | ± 2.0% | 51% | 36% | 12% |
on whether Lindsey Graham deserves to be re-elected
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Yes | No | Other / Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change Research/Post and Courier | December 6–11, 2019 | 998 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 37% | 53% | 10% |
| Emerson College | Feb 28-Mar 2, 2019 | 755 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 47% | 52% | 1% |
with Generic Republican and Generic Democrat
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Generic Republican | Generic Democrat | Other / Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac University | September 23–27, 2020 | 1,123 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 49% | 44% | 6% |
| Quinnipiac University | September 10–14, 2020 | 969 (LV) | ± 3.2% | 52% | 44% | 5% |
Fundraising
In the first quarter of 2020, Harrison outraised Graham, $7.3 million to $5.5 million, but Graham had the lead in cash on hand, with $12 million compared with Harrison's $8 million.
In the third quarter of 2020, Harrison raised $57 million, the largest quarterly total by a U.S. Senate candidate ever, breaking Beto O'Rourke's record in the 2018 Texas election. He has also raised the most ever by a U.S. Senate candidate, beating another of O'Rourke's records.
| Campaign finance reports as of December 31st, 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Lindsey Graham (R) | $112,292,175 | $102,195,708 | $12,491,457 |
| Jaime Harrison (D) | $132,685,669 | $132,350,242 | $335,426 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission | |||
Debates
| 2020 United States senate election in South Carolina debates | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date & Time | Host | Location | Moderator | Participants | ||||||||||
| Key: P Participant. N Non-invitee. | Republican | Democratic | |||||||||||||
| United States senator Lindsey Graham | Former SCDP chairman Jaime Harrison | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | October 3, 2020 8:00 p.m. EDT | Allen University | Columbia, South Carolina | Judi Gatson | P | P | |||||||||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lindsey Graham (incumbent) | 1,369,137 | 54.44% | +0.17% | |
| Democratic | Jaime Harrison | 1,110,828 | 44.17% | +5.39% | |
| Constitution | Bill Bledsoe | 32,845 | 1.30% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 2,294 | 0.09% | -0.29% | ||
| Total votes | 2,515,104 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
By county
By county | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
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By congressional district
Graham won six of seven congressional districts.
| District | Graham | Harrison | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 52% | 46% | Joe Cunningham |
| Nancy Mace | |||
| 2nd | 55% | 44% | Joe Wilson |
| 3rd | 67% | 31% | Jeff Duncan |
| 4th | 59% | 40% | William Timmons |
| 5th | 56% | 42% | Ralph Norman |
| 6th | 31% | 68% | Jim Clyburn |
| 7th | 58% | 41% | Tom Rice |
See also
- 2020 South Carolina elections
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