Poll Finds South Carolina Senate Race Between Graham and Andrews Tied Days Before Election

A New York Times/Siena University poll released Wednesday, less than a week before Election Day, found Sen. Darline Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and Democrat Annie Andrews each at 48 percent among likely voters in the state's Senate race. Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, was appointed in July after his sudden death. She then ran for a full term at President Donald Trump's urging and won a primary over Rep. Ralph Norman. The poll, conducted the previous week, showed Andrews ahead among independents, 57 percent to 37 percent, and drawing 7 percent of Republicans. A majority said Andrews would handle the economy better, she held a narrow edge on cost of living, and she led 46 percent to 44 percent on foreign wars. The poll also found Republicans ahead in Florida's Senate race and Democrats ahead in Minnesota, where clashes over immigration and fraud accusations between Trump and Democrats have spilled into the Senate contest.

The Washington Examiner, on the right, leads with the South Carolina numbers and says they point to vulnerabilities for Graham. It describes the race as neck-and-neck, and it supplies the most detail: her appointment, Trump's urging, the Norman primary, Andrews' enthusiasm-driven support, and her issue leads. It describes Graham's backers as motivated mainly by party affiliation and puts Graham's lead at under a point. The New York Times and NPR, on the left, frame the race more broadly. The Times calls South Carolina a tossup in a heavily Republican state and says Graham is struggling to replicate her late brother's success, then adds Florida and Minnesota. NPR centers on Minnesota as a flashpoint between Trump and Democrats, not on South Carolina. Both sides cite the same poll and a close race; they differ on whether the focus is Graham's weakness or the national map. The Hill's alternative coverage simply reports the 48-48 tie.