*Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham held on to his seat in South Carolina, defeating Democrat Jaime Harrison in a race that drew national attention to a ruby red state.
The contest broke fundraising records. Harrison, who is Black, raised more than $100 million, an enormous amount for a South Carolina race. He raised $57 million in the third quarter alone, scaring some Republicans in the state.
Graham raised around $70 million, also breaking a third-quarter record for a Republican Senate candidate, with $27 million raised.
Harrison, 44, was born to a teenage mother and raised by his grandparents in a mobile home in Orangeburg. He got his start in politics working for Rep. Jim Clyburn before going on to become a lobbyist and later leading the South Carolina Democratic Party.
“We proved that public office is not a lifetime job and that people are willing to hold our leaders accountable. We proved that there is no such thing as red or blue states,” Harrison said in his concession speech. “We proved that a new South is rising. Tonight only slowed us down.”
Harrison also pointed to Graham’s past reputation of reaching across the aisle, telling his supporters that “I hope he will maintain a spirit of cooperation that he is known for.”
Watch Harrison’s full concession speech below:
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