Jaime Harrison, the official Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, sent a letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) last week challenging the incumbent lawmaker to four general election debates between now and Election Day.
Harrison’s letter also requires that one of these four debates be held at one of the state’s several Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs).
“While we may disagree on many issues, I am sure we can agree that Palmetto State voters deserve to hear where we each stand on the vital questions facing South Carolina and the country,” Harrison wrote. “We have to rescue our economy from the turmoil caused by coronavirus, prepare our children for the future, and keep our country safe.”
The son of a single teenage mom and reared by his grandparents in Orangeburg, SC, Harrison overcame the challenges of poverty with the help of family, teachers and mentors and was able to earn a scholarship to Yale University and attend Georgetown Law.
In 2013, Harrison was elected the first African-American chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, a position he held until 2017.
South Carolina has ranked last in the country in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) SBA loans per worker since the start of the coronavirus crisis.
“I’m honored to have earned the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, and I want to thank the thousands of volunteers and supporters from every corner of South Carolina who made this moment possible,” Harrison continued. “After Lindsey’s 25 years in Washington, the people of this state are ready for a change. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in South Carolina know that the principled, statesman Lindsey Graham of the past has been replaced with a person more focused on political games than on fixing the longstanding issues plaguing our state. Now more than ever, voters are fed up with Lindsey taking this seat for granted, and they are demanding a senator who will put their needs ahead of his own.”
Graham is chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and has served as the senior senator from South Caroline since 2003.
“Lindsey is in for a tough fight, and he knows it.,” Harrison said. “The momentum is on the side of our growing, grassroots movement to bring hope back to South Carolina, and the birth of the New South is taking place in this state right before our eyes. I am excited for the work ahead, and this campaign is ready to make history.”
Recently, Harrison also outraised Graham in the final FEC fundraising period before the primary, receiving $4.2 million compared to Sen. Graham’s $3.6 million. Harrison has received donations from all 46 counties of South Carolina, and more than 5,000 people have signed up to volunteer for the campaign.
Late last month, a Civiqs poll of 591 South Carolina registered voters showed Harrison and
