Trump holds second South Carolina rally in two weeks as Senate race polls as a toss-up

Mixed · 2President Donald Trump was due to hold a campaign rally in South Carolina on Thursday 29 October, his second there in two weeks, as new polls showed the Senate race between Republican incumbent Darline Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews to be a toss-up. 1 2 Left · 1A New York Times/Siena poll released Wednesday, as reported by Raw Story, had Graham and Andrews tied at 48 percent, with 80 percent of Republicans backing Graham against 97 percent of Democrats backing Andrews. 2 Mixed · 2Graham holds the seat once held by her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally who died suddenly in July; Trump urged Gov. Henry McMaster to appoint her, then pressed her to run and endorsed her once she did. 1 2

Mixed · 2Reuters, carried by the Straits Times, said some Republicans fear a traditional stronghold has become a battleground; it noted South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since Fritz Hollings, who was first elected in 1966 and served until 2005, and tied the trend to Trump's low poll ratings. Raw Story instead says the state has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1998. 1 2 Left · 1Raw Story, citing MS NOW, reported that South Carolina Republicans are angry at Trump's role: Rep. Nancy Mace called the race a "train wreck", Rep. Ralph Norman, who lost to Graham in the August primary, said Trump was trying to "force-feed" the candidate, and an unnamed state GOP official who has seen private polling called the party's spending in the state "wild". 2 Mixed · 2Graham has faced doubts about her qualifications after saying in an August debate she was "not that informed on national security"; responding to criticism that her campaign is unpolished, she said she was not a career politician and does not "speak politician", and her campaign said voter and Trump support matter more than political endorsements. 2 1

Right · 1Two former governors, Republican David Beasley and Democrat Jim Hodges, endorsed Andrews in a TV advertisement, while former Gov. Nikki Haley has endorsed neither candidate. 1 Right · 1Reuters said Republicans are also defending Senate seats in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and Maine, where polls show Democrats leading, and are worried about Mississippi and Nebraska; Democrats are favoured to retake the House while Senate control is too close to call. 1 Right · 1Defending Southern seats has forced Republicans to divert resources from possible pickups in Michigan, Georgia and Minnesota and sent Trump on a tour of 19 states since the start of October, with further rallies planned in Florida, Kansas and Iowa before Tuesday's vote. 1