South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham is in the battle of his life to keep his seat in the Senate after his Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison outperformed the Trump sycophant for the first time over the initial three months of 2020. Donations are pouring in for Harrison in the deep-red state so that’s a pretty big deal, but it gets worse for Graham.
A former top South Carolina business executive who was a supporter of Graham’s has now decided to back the Republican incumbent’s Democratic challenger in his 2020 re-election race, the Post and Courier reports.
The former chairman and president of Michelin’s South Carolina-based operations, Richard Wilkerson, has had a change of heart and has given Harrison a ringing endorsement. Michelin is one of the state’s largest companies.
Wilkerson explained that he chose to endorse Harrison over Graham because of his experience working with him while Harrison lobbied on the company’s behalf in Washington, D.C.
From 2009 to 2016, when Harrison was a lobbyist at the now-defunct Podesta Group, he advocated for some of Michelin’s legislative priorities, including dredging the Port of Charleston and creating new tire manufacturing standards to improve fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions.”
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Wilkerson went on to say that the experience he’s had with Harrison showed him “how hard he works to bring lasting economic opportunity to the people of South Carolina” and described him as “the change South Carolina needs.”
“I am confident that as our next U.S. Senator, he will be a tireless advocate for creating well-paying jobs, improving our state’s health care system, and training the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow,” Wilkerson said. “Jaime is the perfect candidate to bring together South Carolinians from all walks of life.”
As for donations, the race is on.
Harrison brought in $7.36 million in fundraising dollars, and that’s bad news for Graham, who brought in just $5.6 million in donations.
The race is set to become by far the most expensive campaigns in South Carolina history. That’s a warning shot to Graham, who, as polls show, is deeply unpopular in his state. It’s also a warning shot to the least popular president in the history of polling.
Featured image via Political Tribune gallery
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