Poll: Jaime Harrison tied with Lindsey Graham in South Carolina

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is tied 48%-48% with Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison in the South Carolina Senate race, according to a Quinnipiac poll out Wednesday.

Why it matters: The race could be pivotal in deciding which party controls the Senate. Harrison was once thought to be a long shot against Graham, who won his last Senate race by a 10-point margin.

"There hasn't been a Democrat elected to the Senate from South Carolina since 1998. Outspent and labeled by critics as an apologist for President Trump, Lindsey Graham is facing the fight of his political life," said Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy in a news release.

By the numbers: Both candidates received 48% support from 1,123 likely South Carolina voters — unchanged from a Quinnipiac poll earlier this month.

95% of voters who said they support a candidate said their minds have been made up about their pick, while another 4% said their minds could still be changed.

In general, 49% of likely voters said they want Republicans to win control of the U.S. Senate, while 44% said the same for Democrats.

Worth noting: President Trump's support in the state has declined since the Quinnipiac poll two weeks ago. The president received 48% support among likely voters (down from 51%), while former Vice President Joe Biden received 47% support (up from 45%) — a statistical tie.

Methodology: The poll surveyed 1,123 likely South Carolina voters September 23–27. It has a margin of error of ±2.9 percentage points.

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