New York Times/Siena University polls show South Carolina is now a serious Senate race. Darline Graham leads by less than one percentage point against Dr. Andrews. Many voters feel Ms. Graham lacks experience. Both parties started pouring money into the state as Republican leaders showed signs of division this week.
South Carolina seems like a serious race; Minnesota may not be; and Florida still appears out of reach for Democrats.
How big is the battleground for Senate control?
It might be at least one state wider than generally assumed.
Our latest New York Times/Siena University polls of three states on the periphery of the competitive Senate map -- South Carolina, Florida and Minnesota -- show Democrats running well, and well enough to make South Carolina seem like a serious contest in the final stretch.
The headline is the essentially tied race in South Carolina, where Darline Graham led by less than one percentage point in a state that no one was watching at the beginning of the year. Since then, Senator Lindsey Graham has died, and his sister, Ms. Graham, has been elevated to the Senate with President Trump's support.
The poll is far from the first sign of trouble in her bid to win a full term. In an August debate, she said national security was not "my thing," and she's been attacked as a beneficiary of both nepotism and Mr. Trump's favoritism. A majority of voters in the poll disagree with the statement that she has the experience to be an effective senator. A majority say Dr. Andrews, a pediatrician, does.
Over the last few weeks, both parties have started pouring money into the state, and Mr. Trump is set to visit again Thursday. There are signs of division in Republican ranks: A former Republican governor endorsed Dr. Andrews, and Ms. Graham's main primary opponent, Representative Ralph Norman, criticized Ms. Graham's qualifications Tuesday and said he had no plans to help her campaign.
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