COLUMBIA, S.C. — Overcoming the toughest challenge of his political career, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham won reelection to a fourth term Tuesday night, defeating Democratic nominee Jaime Harrison.
Fox News and the Associated Press called the race at about 10 p.m.
Republicans were in high spirits at the state GOP's victory party at the University of South Carolina Alumni Center. There, about 150 people gathered and cheered whenever Graham and Harrison's race results popped up on the television screens, showing the senator in the lead.
As of about 10:30 p.m., Graham led with about 55% of the vote to Harrison's 43% with about 56% of precincts reporting.
Across town, at his own celebration party at Hunter Gatherer Hangar, Harrison spoke to a small crowd of supporters, campaign staffers and reporters, celebrating the historic campaign that drew a national spotlight on South Carolina even if it fell short of victory.
"Folks are hopeful that change is possible," Harrison said. "We didn't get the result we wanted today. But, my friends, today is not where our story ends."
"We are strong. We are resourceful. We are brave. We are South Carolinians," Harrison said in his closing remarks. "And we will build a new South together. While we breathe, we hope my friends. While we breathe, we hope."
Polls had the race tied at points in August and September. But it appeared the race took a turn in Graham's favor when Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died energizing conservative voters who saw Trump cement a conservative majority on the Supreme Court with the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett.
Graham, who trailed in fundraising and campaign advertising, chaired Barrett's confirmation hearings that were televised, giving him increased exposure to voters.
One poll in September found 54% of South Carolinians wanted to move forward with filling Ginsburg's seat before the election.
Even though Harrison raised more money than Graham, setting an all-time Senate candidate record, Graham's win Tuesday showed what some political observers suspected: that there's a ceiling to how much money can move the needle in a campaign.
"It's the reality of South Carolina being a Republican state, continuing what's been a pretty impressive streak of Republicans winning statewide," said Gibbs Knotts, a College of Charleston political science professor.
Even though Graham trailed Harrison in fundraising through Oct. 14, he still brought in $74 million, a healthy amount of cash for his reelection effort.
"To be able to not raise as much money as Jaime Harrison but being able to raise still just an unbelievable amount of money to also get his message out, I think that was a key," Knotts said.
Graham banked on his relationship with Trump and his win in helping to confirm Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court to bring him a victory in South Carolina, whose voters have favored Republicans in the presidential and statewide races for years.
Graham over the years has shifted more to the right, away from previous moderate stances that once led to him being censured by some local GOP groups within the state.
Graham also won despite Harrison's campaign promoting Constitution Party nominee Bill Bledsoe as more conservative than Graham. The move was widely seen as an attempt to sway conservative voters to cast their ballots for Bledsoe, who said he had dropped out of the race despite remaining on the ballot, instead of Graham, to help Harrison close the gap.
Harrison's watch party outside the Hunter-Gatherer Brewery at the Hangar was largely empty but for campaign staff and a slew of reporters, all who were given temperature checks when they walked in.
Reporters were penned off, though no supporters were outside the brewery. Outside the taproom was a stage and two screens flipping between a shot of the stage with South Carolina and United States' flags behind. Harrison's large RV was lit in the back.
Josh and Aly Seppala, of Greenville, were homebuilders who drove to the Columbia victory party were surprised the race had seemed so close.
"I didn't think liberals would be coming here and trying to take Lindsey's seat. With all that money, over $100 million, that tells me how important Lindsey's seat is," Aly Seppala said.
For the Seppalas the key to Graham's victory was the Supreme Court confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett and people remembering his defense of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
"Because of Brett Kavanaugh ... the world watched him say what he felt. That was heartfelt, that was the real Lindsey. When he came out and did what he did for ACB, there was no surprise," Josh Seppala said.
Donna Gottschall, 62 of Greenville, said she wasn't concerned about Graham's chances in the race.
"I wasn't concerned that he would lose, I was concerned for the way that he was treated by the other side," Gottschall said. "When his opponent Jamie Harrison came up and started pulling for (Bill) Bledsoe who wasn't even in the race anymore, I thought that was very underhanded, kind of cut-throat."
