Jaime Harrison has accomplished what few anticipated: Polls now have him inside single digits of Sen. Lindsey Graham within the South Carolina S
Jaime Harrison has accomplished what few anticipated: Polls now have him inside single digits of Sen. Lindsey Graham within the South Carolina Senate race.
The diploma of assist he’s acquired has stunned many, together with Harrison himself.
“I’m amazed by it,” he informed Vox. “I received into this race as a result of I knew I had a shot, however not in my wildest desires did I think about a marketing campaign rising like this marketing campaign has grown.”
This previous quarter, Harrison raised $57 million — essentially the most cash any Senate candidate has raised in a single quarter in historical past, in response to the New York Instances. These funds have allowed Harrison to compete statewide in South Carolina in a method not many Democrats have been capable of up to now, enabling him to shut the double-digit polling hole with which he began his marketing campaign. Harrison is among the many Democrats who’ve picked up robust momentum this 12 months amid a polarizing presidential race.
The trail to an final win over Graham is a troublesome one, nonetheless: Harrison will want an expansive coalition of voters — together with crossover Republicans — and robust Democratic turnout. In accordance with Cook dinner Political Report’s Jessica Taylor, Democrats have beforehand capped out at 48 p.c voter assist within the state.
Harrison spoke with Vox about his expectations for Republican assist and the laws he’d prioritize if he’s elected. This interview has been edited and condensed for size and readability.
Li Zhou
Initially of this marketing campaign, there was a way from some those that this was probably an extended shot. And now you’re at some extent the place you’re tied with Lindsey Graham. So, I used to be questioning should you might discuss what you’ve accomplished because the launch of your marketing campaign to construct up this assist?
Jaime Harrison
Nicely, you understand, this has been a grassroots motion that we’ve constructed right here in South Carolina.
After I first began, we didn’t have an e-mail checklist, so we needed to construct it from the bottom up. I feel of us right here in South Carolina have been simply so hungry for change. They have been so hungry for a optimistic message, a unifying message. They have been hungry for some management that was going to give attention to them and their households and their communities.
We now have gotten hundreds of volunteers, I feel we’re on 14 or 15,000 individuals who signed as much as volunteer for our marketing campaign. We’ve gotten nicely over 1,000,000 contributions — small {dollars} — contributions from each county in South Carolina, and persons are simply so excited.
I’m amazed by it. I all the time knew that I had a shot. , I received into this race as a result of I knew I had a shot. However not in my wildest desires did I think about a marketing campaign rising like this marketing campaign has grown.
Li Zhou
I had seen Cook dinner Political Report be aware that there’s sometimes a 48 p.c ceiling for Democrats in federal races in South Carolina. And I used to be questioning should you might discuss what the coalition of voters appears to be like like that you just see getting your marketing campaign to both the bulk or the plurality that you have to in the end win?
Jaime Harrison
I feel ultimately, that is about Democrats, independents, and Republicans who’re simply fed up with the place issues are going within the route of the state, who don’t just like the divisive politics that they see every day, who’re on the lookout for any individual who’s going to give attention to not what’s the Democratic resolution or the Republican resolution, however what’s the proper resolution for our neighborhood? And that’s the place I’m.
, I say this usually: Lindsey Graham is attempting to scare individuals to assist him. I’m attempting to encourage individuals to assist me. And it’s a distinct method of trying on the world. And so what we now have seen is that we’re attracting a bit of Republican supporters who don’t just like the route of the nation and the place we’re going. We’re profitable overwhelmingly with independents over Lindsey Graham, and we now have lockclad assist with Democratic voters. In order that’s the coalition that we now have.
If you’re capable of get any individual like Dick Wilkerson, who was on Lindsey Graham’s [presidential campaign] finance committee … , he has voted for Republicans within the state, ran one of many largest corporations in South Carolina — Michelin — and to have him come from being a Lindsey supporter to a Jamie Harrison supporter, it simply demonstrates that issues are altering within the state.
[One of many promoting efforts that Harrison’s marketing campaign has invested in targets conservative voters in an try to persuade them to assist a third-party candidate as a substitute of Graham. If sufficient of those voters don’t assist Graham, these shifts might assist Harrison win with lower than a majority of the vote.]
Li Zhou
If President Trump finally ends up profitable South Carolina, do you see ticket splitters being a part of this coalition as nicely? And have you ever seen indicators of their assist on your marketing campaign?
Jaime Harrison
Oh, yeah, I imply, there are a variety of oldsters who we now have seen and who’ve mentioned that they can’t assist Lindsey Graham. They don’t assume he’s an trustworthy particular person they usually don’t assume he’s preventing for them.
We consider that we’re going to get some crossover assist. And we respect it. In the long run of the day, our focus is on the race to win the USA Senate. And we consider that we’re nicely positioned to do exactly that.
Li Zhou
What could be your first legislative precedence should you’re elected to the Senate?
Jaime Harrison
I simply rolled out a rural hope agenda a couple of month in the past. And that’s to rebuild and revitalize rural communities throughout South Carolina. And it’s a five-part plan [that] focuses on infrastructure, well being care, training, financial alternatives, and in addition features a Farmer’s Invoice of Rights.
And so I consider that with a purpose to transfer South Carolina from the highest of the entire unhealthy lists to the highest of all the great lists, we now have to determine how [to] deal with the historic disparities and inequities that we discover in our rural communities within the state, and in order that’s going to be considered one of my high priorities.
Li Zhou
Medicaid growth is one thing you’ve highlighted ceaselessly up to now. I’m questioning how you’ll make sure that South Carolinians at the moment in that growth hole obtain protection should you’re elected to the Senate.
Jaime Harrison
One of many issues I feel we have to have a look at is — Doug Jones has a invoice referred to as the [States Achieve Medicaid Expansion] SAME Act, which in essence restarts the clock for the states which have but to increase Medicaid. So it provides them a brand new window to have a couple of years wherein the federal authorities picks up 100 p.c of the price of Medicaid. I consider that we have to cross the SAME Act.
Li Zhou
You’ve beforehand mentioned that you just’re cautious of eliminating the filibuster at this level. However I’m curious: If Mitch McConnell continues to do what he’s accomplished up to now and block Democratic priorities within the new time period, like expansions to well being care protection, is there potential you’ll rethink that place?
Jaime Harrison
It’s about opening a Pandora’s field, and the query is [that] there could also be short-term political features, however are we snug with long-term repercussions for that? For me, it’s about essentially the most weak in our society. There are quite a lot of packages that they rely on. And are we keen … to jeopardize these packages and the protection web that’s for these communities? And I’m simply not keen to take that threat at this level.
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