Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., won reelection handily on Tuesday night, pulling 54.3% of the vote while his opponent, Democratic candidate Jaime Harrison, only drew 44.4% of the vote.
Graham’s victory should have been easy to predict, but Democratic pollsters spent weeks predicting that the race would be much closer than it was.
One poll even showed Harrison tied with Graham, leading the Cook Political Report to label the race a “toss-up.”
“Ultimately, this race has earned a more competitive rating — underscoring just how fast the GOP majority is slipping away if they have to defend turf like this, and also how much Trump’s numbers have fallen across the board,” Jessica Taylor, an analyst for the Cook Political Report, said at the time.
Similarly, Quinnipiac predicted a tie between Graham and Harrison three over the last few months.
Democrats likely believed Harrison’s impressive fundraising would help him — but $86 million later and Harrison barely came close to Graham’s lead.
