Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died Saturday night after what his office called a “brief and sudden illness.” The Republican senator was pivotal in enacting Trump’s policy and staffing priorities. We’ll discuss the legacy he leaves behind, and look at the process for choosing his successor and replacing him on the November ballot.
Meanwhile, Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper is holding his lead over Republican Michael Whatley, the former NCGOP and RNC chairman, in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race. The latest Catawba-YouGov poll found Cooper ahead of Whatley by 14 points, while top election forecasters have moved the race from toss-up status to favoring Cooper.
The winner of the Senate race could help determine who controls the next Congress, as the narrow path for Democrats to gain a majority runs through a handful of GOP-held seats. Democrats have fallen short in both presidential and U.S. Senate races, not winning in the state since 2008.
Recently, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan election forecast, moved the North Carolina Senate race from “toss-up” status to “leans Democratic.” In April, The Cook Political Report also moved the race status from a toss-up to favoring Cooper.
As the calculus squares in on probability in North Carolina, uncertainty rises in other consequential races.
On this episode, we get an update on where North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race stands. We’ll also discuss what the race could mean for the balance of power in Congress and if the historic fundraising hauls by Democrats in North Carolina will hold in the fall.
GUESTS:
Scott Huffmon, Ph.D., director of the Center for Public Opinion & Policy Research and professor of political science at Winthrop University
Chris Cooper, Ph. D., professor, Director of the Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University, and author of “Anatomy of a Purple State: A North Carolina Politics Primer”
Kirk A. Bado, editor at National Journal Hotline
Danielle Battaglia, congressional impact reporter for The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer
