Will Republicans Win South Carolina In 2020? Donald Trump, Joe Biden In Tight Race In Red State

Democratic nominee Joe Biden may have a shot at the traditionally red state of South Carolina, according to a Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday.

The poll shows Trump at 48% support in the state, with Biden at 47%. The poll surveyed 1,123 likely South Carolina voters from Sept. 23-27, with a margin of error of 2.9 points.

South Carolina, which has nine electoral votes, is considered "a must win" for Trump to have a reasonable shot at reelection. Republicans have dominated South Carolina politics but there have been indications in recent years that it could become a swing state.

The Washington Post recently noted that Republicans continue to dominate upstate and the coast, while Democrats have made some inroads around the suburbs of Charleston and Columbia.

In 2016, Trump had a landslide win in South Carolina over Hillary Clinton, 54.9%-40.6%. The Cook Political Report rating the presidential race there as “Likely Republican.”

It's unclear if either the Trump or Biden campaigns believe South Carolina can be flipped.

The Quinnipiac survey shows an even tighter Senate race between incumbent Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Jaime Harrison. Both Graham and Harrison are at 48%.

"There hasn't been a Democrat elected to the Senate from South Carolina since 1998. Outspent and labeled by critics as an apologist for President Trump, Lindsey Graham is facing the fight of his political life," Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said.

Graham, 65, has served as South Carolina’s senator since 2003. Although he was originally seen as a moderate Republican due to his views on immigration and climate change, Graham has become an ardent defender of Trump.

Harrison, 44, is an associate chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He has attacked Graham for his ties to Trump and claimed Graham has abandoned everyday South Carolinans.

Harrison has consistently outraised Graham in recent months. During an appearance on Fox News last week, Graham pleaded for donations, saying he was getting “killed financially.”

The Cook Report rates the South Carolina Senate race as “Lean Republican.”