By Ray Rivera, Patrick Phillips, Rob Way, and Kaitlin Stansell | November 3, 2020 at 6:51 PM EST - Updated November 3 at 11:17 PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has been re-elected defeating Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison in South Carolina’s most expensive Senate contest.
Graham won his fourth term on Tuesday night as he faced his most stalwart general election opponent to date in Harrison.
He spoke to his supporters shortly before 11 p.m., calling the victory “an answer to a lot of prayers.”
“So to those who’ve been following this race from afar, I hope you got the message,” he said. “Here’s the message I got: People like what I’m doing and I’m going to keep doing it. I’m going back to the Senate with a purpose. I’ve never wanted my job more than I do now I never appreciated my job, more than I do now. I’m more never been more grateful to have it. And I think I’ve never been more prepared to do it than I am right now.”
Graham pledged to put national security interests ahead of everything else and said he would continue to have the backs of the men and women in uniform and make sure America has “the best prepared military to deter war.”
He thanked Harrison for calling him to concede the race earlier in the evening, calling Harrison’s message “very gracious” and calling him “a good man.”
Graham is holding his watch party at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Earlier today, Graham said he felt confident about the race, adding that he’s never felt better about it.
Graham has served in this seat for 18 years and he’s hoping to make that another six. He’s been campaigning across the state, even making some stops in the Lowcountry.
If Graham had lost the seat, he said Republicans would lose control of the U.S. Senate.
But South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick said he was not worried about that and believed the results would be known before everyone headed to bed Tuesday night.
“We’ve seen that enthusiasm from our base when it comes to the issues, and it’s helped us put together the single greatest ground game in the history of the South Carolina Republican Party by a factor of five in terms of door knocks and phone calls," McKissick said earlier today. "The Democrats in this cycle basically bailed on this cycle in terms of doing a ground game because of coronavirus concerns and what have you, and I think they’re going to regret that when that night is over.”
Harrison’s watch party is also in Columbia at the Curtis Wright Hangar and a portion of the watch party looked to be happening outside. But the event is private, only for Harrison’s campaign staff, volunteers and supporters.
Harrison spent the majority of his day greeting voters at the polls, starting outside in precincts in Richland County before traveling to meet voters in Florence County.
The contest was propelled by an onslaught of spending from both candidates and a slew of third-party groups. Harrison has bested all Senate fundraising records, becoming the first candidate to amass a war chest of more than $100 million. Graham told The Associated Press he also raised about $100 million, with a third-quarter haul of $28 million representing a new GOP quarterly record.
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