Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

U.S. Senate South Carolina

Tenure

2003 - Present

Term ends

2021

Years in position

17

Prior offices

City Attorney Central South Carolina

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South Carolina House of Representatives

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U.S. House South Carolina District 3

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Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Net worth

$697,003

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of South Carolina, Columbia, 1977

Law

University of South Carolina School of Law, 1981

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air National Guard

Years of service

1989 - 1995

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1982 - 1988

Personal

Religion

Christian: Baptist

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Lindsey Graham (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from South Carolina. He assumed office on January 7, 2003. His current term ends on January 3, 2021.

Graham (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent South Carolina. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

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On March 12, 2020, Graham announced a self-quarantine for coronavirus. Graham announced on March 15 that he had tested negative. Click here for more information on political figures impacted by coronavirus.

At the start of the 116th Congress, Graham became chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In June 2015, Graham announced his candidacy in the 2016 election for president, but withdrew in December. During the 2016 election, Graham said he would not endorse or vote for Republican candidate Donald Trump, but in April 2018 he stated that he would support President Trump if he ran for re-election.

Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Graham represented South Carolina's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and served in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Graham is a more moderate right of center Republican Party vote. As a result, he may break with the Republican Party line more than his fellow members.

On October 2, 2020, Graham said he tested negative shortly after President Donald Trump (R) announced that he had tested positive for the virus. On March 15, 2020, Graham announced he had tested negative for coronavirus. Click here for more information on political figures impacted by coronavirus.

Biography

Graham was born in Seneca, South Carolina on July 9, 1955. He graduated from Daniel High School in 1973. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina in 1977 and his J.D. from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1981. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1982 to 1988 and the South Carolina Air National Guard from 1989 to 1995. He currently serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Graham worked as a lawyer in a private practice prior to entering Congress.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Graham's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2003-Present: U.S. Senator from South Carolina
• 1995-Present: United States Air Force Reserves
• 1995-2003: U.S. Representative from South Carolina's 3rd Congressional District
• 1992-1994: Served as member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
• 1990-1994: Served as City Attorney for Central, S.C.
• 1988-1992: Served as Assistant County Attorney, Oconee County, S.C.
• 1989-1995: South Carolina Air National Guard
• 1982-1988: United States Air Force
• 1981: Earned his J.D. from University of South Carolina School of Law
• 1977: Earned his B.A. from University of South Carolina, Columbia

2020 battleground election

See also: United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2020

Incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) defeated Jaime Harrison (D) in the November 3, 2020, general election for United States Senate in South Carolina.

Graham was first elected in 2002. In 2014 Graham defeated Bob Conley (D) 55% to 42%. Leading up to the 2020 election, a Republican had represented this seat since 1964 when Sen. Strom Thurmond changed his party affiliation.

Donald Trump (R) defeated Hillary Clinton (D) in South Carolina in the 2016 presidential election 55% to 41%. Five of South Carolina’s 46 counties are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Trump in 2016.

The Cook Political Report's Jessica Taylor said demographic shifts in South Carolina and fundraising made this race competitive. Taylor wrote: “there are shifting areas here too, and not just in the changing Charleston-based 1st District [...] but also even in the typically reliably conservative Upstate core of Greenville/Spartanburg and along the Charlotte exurbs.”

The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. Senate. Thirty-five of 100 seats were up for election, including two special elections. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 53-45 majority over Democrats in the Senate. Independents who caucus with the Democrats held the two remaining seats. Republicans faced greater partisan risk in the election. They defended 23 seats while Democrats defended 12. Both parties had two incumbents representing states the opposite party's presidential nominee won in 2016.

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2019-2020

Graham was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Appropriations
• Committee on the Judiciary, Chairman
• Committee on Foreign Relations
• Committee on Budget

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Graham was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Appropriations
• Committee on Armed Services
• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on the Judiciary

2015-2016

Graham served on the following committees:

• Appropriations Committee
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Defense
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
  • Subcommittee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Chairman
• Armed Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
  • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
• Budget Committee
• Judiciary Committee
  • Subcommittee on The Constitution
  • Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, Chairman
  • Subcommittee on Oversight, Federal Rights and Agency Action
  • Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law

2013-2014

Graham served on the following Senate committees:

• Appropriations Committee
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
  • Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
  • Subcommittee on Department of Defense
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
• Armed Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on SeaPower
  • Subcommittee on Personnel
  • Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
• Budget Committee
• Judiciary Committee
  • Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
  • Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights
  • Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights subcommittee

2011-2012

Graham served on the following Senate committees:

• Appropriations Committee
• Armed Services Committee
• Budget Committee
• Judiciary Committee
• United States Special Committee on Aging

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018 For detailed information about each vote, click here. Votes on domestic policy (click to expand) Did not vote on: First Step Act of 2018 (S 756)  Motion Agreed to (87-12) on December 18, 2018 Proposed making changes to the criminal justice system. Voted Yea on: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Conference Report Agreed to (87-13) on December 11, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023. Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Nomination Confirmed (50-48) on October 6, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-49) on October 5, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Bill Passed (86-11, 3/5 majority required) on June 28, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. Voted Yea on: Immigration reform proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Trump administration (S Amdt 1959 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (39-60, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for 1.8 million individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, limits on chain migration or family-based migration, and eliminating the visa lottery system. Voted Yea on: Immigration reform proposal from the Common Sense Coalition (S Amdt 1958 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, and limitations on chain or family-based immigration. Voted Yea on: Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act amendment (S Amdt 1948 to S Amdt 1959)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed withholding funding from sanctuary jurisdictions for not cooperating with federal immigration officials. Voted Yea on: Coons-McCain immigration plan (S Amdt 1955 to S Amdt 1958)  Cloture Motion Rejected (52-47, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children and conducting a study to determine what border security measures were needed. It also proposed requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by 2021. Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S 2311)  Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected (51-46, 3/5 majority required) on January 29, 2018 Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill proposed providing exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it—"Skinny bill" (S Amdt 667 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628 the American Health Care Act of 2017)  Amendment Rejected (49-51) on July 28, 2017 The amendment proposed repealing the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) (S Amdt 271 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Amendment Rejected (45-55) on July 26, 2017 An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) Voted Nay on: Motion to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, including Cruz and Portman amendments (S Amdt 270 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Motion Rejected (43-57, 3/5 majority required) on July 25, 2017 A procedural vote to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA), including the Cruz and Portman amendments. Voted Yea on: Motion to begin debate on the American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)  Motion to Proceed Agreed to (50-50, Vice President voted Yea) on July 25, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2017. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(4)—confirmation vote)  Nomination Confirmed (54-45) on April 7, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—confirmation vote. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(3))  Cloture Motion Agreed to (55-45) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—second vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination under the new precedent requiring only a simple majority to pass. Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(2))  Decision of Chair Not Sustained (48-52) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—a vote to keep the Senate precedent of requiring 60 votes to close debate on Supreme Court nominations. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-45, 3/5 majority required) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—initial vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination. Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand) Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Conference Report Agreed to (93-7) on September 18, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Conference Report Agreed to (92-5) on September 12, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (85-7) on August 23, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Did not vote on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (86-5) on June 25, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)  Motion Agreed to (65-32) on March 23, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)  Motion Agreed to (71-28) on February 9, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018 Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-44, 3/5 majority required) on February 8, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Motion Agreed to (81-18) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (81-18, 3/5 majority required) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Rejected (50-49, 3/5 majority required) on January 19, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)  Motion Agreed to (66-32, 3/5 majority required) on December 21, 2017 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Motion Agreed to (51-48) on December 20, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 and proposed changes to the tax code. Voted Yea on: "A joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes." (HJ Res 123)  Joint Resolution Passed (81-14) on December 7, 2017 Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (51-49) on December 2, 2017 Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. Voted Yea on: A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. Voted Nay on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)  Motion Agreed to (80-17) on September 7, 2017 Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)  Motion Agreed to (79-18) on May 4, 2017 The $1.2 trillion budget bill proposed funding the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand) Did not vote on: "A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress." (SJ Res 54)  Joint Resolution Passed (56-41) on December 13, 2018 Proposed removing United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that were not authorized by Congress. Did not vote on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (89-8) on September 18, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. On November 15, 2017, the Senate passed the defense policy bill by voice vote. This bill was the result of compromises made in the conference report. For more information on the compromise bill, click here. Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)  Bill Passed (98-2) on July 27, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 (S 722)  Bill Passed (98-2) on June 15, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. 114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 18,117 out of 21,815 executive nominations received (83 percent). For more information pertaining to Graham's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). TPA, also known as fast track authority, allows the president to negotiate trade deals that cannot be amended by Congress. Congress casts a simple up or down vote on a trade agreement, and the legislation only requires a simple majority for approval. The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Graham voted with 47 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Trade promotion authority On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Graham was one of 47 Republicans to vote in favor of the bill. After, Senate Republican leadership honored a pledge to support trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by passing the measure as part of HR 1295 - Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 by voice vote. The House passed HR 1295 the following day, on June 25, 2015, and both TPA and TAA were signed into law on June 29, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On May 5, 2015, the Senate voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 51-48. The non-binding resolution will be used to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. The vote marked the first time since 2009 that Congress approved a joint budget resolution. All 44 Democrats voted against the resolution. Graham voted with 50 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Defense spending authorization On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed S 1356 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 91-3. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included "$5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget" and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Graham and five Republicans did not vote. On November 5, 2015, the House passed the bill by a vote of 370-58, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. On June 18, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1735 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 71-25. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Graham and two other Republicans did not vote. The House passed the bill on May 15, 2015. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. 2015 budget On October 30, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 by a vote of 64-35. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Graham voted with 17 Republicans, 44 Democrats and two independents in favor of the bill. It passed the House on October 28, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 7, 2015, the Senate voted to approve HR 1191 - A bill to provide for congressional review and oversight of agreements relating to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes, by a vote of 98-1. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Graham voted with 52 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Senator Tom Cotton (Ark.) was the only Republican who voted against the bill. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 On September 10, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 58-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Graham voted with 53 other Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 follow up votes On September 15, 2015, the Senate voted for a second time to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 56-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Graham and one other Republican did not vote. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 fourth vote On September 17, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster a vote on S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640 by a vote of 53-45. The amendment proposed prohibiting "the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran." Graham voted with 51 Republicans and one Democrat to proceed to the amendment. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On June 2, 2015, the Senate passed HR 2048 - the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 by a vote of 67-32. The legislation revised HR 3199 - the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 by terminating the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Graham did not vote. It became law on June 2, 2015. Loretta Lynch AG nomination On April 23, 2015, the Senate voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as United States Attorney General by a vote of 56-43. All 44 Democratic senators voted to confirm Lynch. Graham voted with nine other Republican senators to confirm Lynch. Cyber security On October 27, 2015, the Senate passed S 754 - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74-21. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Graham and four other Republicans did not vote. Immigration On October 20, 2015, the Senate voted against proceeding to a vote on S 2146 - the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act by a vote of 54-45. The bill proposed withholding federal funding from "sanctuary jurisdictions" that violate the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and other federal immigration laws. In addition, the bill proposed increasing "penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the United States after being removed" and providing "liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Federal law enforcement." Graham was the only senator who did not vote. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Graham's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security John Brennan CIA nomination Graham voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination. Economy Farm bill On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Graham joined with 19 other Republican senators in favor of the bill. 2014 Budget On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts. Graham voted with the 17 Republican and the 55 Democratic members in favor of the bill. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 Graham donated his salary to the Wounded Warriors Project while the government was shutdown. During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Graham voted with the Democratic Party for the bill. No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Graham voted for H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill. Immigration Mexico-U.S. border Graham voted against Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines. Social issues Violence Against Women (2013) Graham voted against S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal cliff Graham voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003, while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

National security

Letter to Iran

On March 9, 2015, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) wrote a letter to Iran's leadership, warning them that signing a nuclear deal with the Obama administration without congressional approval was merely an "executive agreement." The letter also stated that "The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time." The letter was signed by 47 Republican members of the Senate. Graham was one of the 47 who signed the letter. No Democrats signed it.

The letter caused backlash from both the Obama administration and members of Congress. Vice President Joe Biden said of the letter, "In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which senators wrote directly to advise another country — much less a longtime foreign adversary — that the president does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them."

Afghanistan

Graham met with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, along with John McCain in January 2014. The two senators urged Karzai to stop releasing prisoners that were a danger to U.S. security. They also urged him to sign the U.S. - Afghan bilateral security agreement. The U.S. threatened to remove all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, if Karzai did not sign the agreement. Karzai wanted to wait to sign the agreement until after the spring election. Karzai could not seek re-election, due to term limits.

Syria

See also: United States involvement in Syria

Graham expressed frustration with President Barack Obama over the Syria situation in September 2013. Obama said he would seek Congressional approval prior to intervening in Syria, and Graham believed this was a mistake. Graham said, "Well, this is about the most mismanaged situation I’ve ever seen since World War II when they were trying to control the Nazis. I just- this is bizarre. We’re going, we’re not going, we don’t need Congress, yes we do. Let’s see if we can come up with a strategy that has a chance of working. A military strike to degrade Assad, upgrading the rebel opposition forces, regional players help carrying some of the burden makes sense to me. This is [sic] all bad options, but that option to me has a chance of working."

Statement on Russian deal

Graham and Senator John McCain released a joint statement on the Russian deal with Syria to relinquish Syria's chemical weapons. McCain and Graham called the deal, "an act of provocative weakness on America’s part. We cannot imagine a worse signal to send to Iran as it continues its push for a nuclear weapon. Is the message of this agreement that Assad is now our negotiating partner, and that he can go on slaughtering innocent civilians and destabilizing the Middle East using every tool of warfare, so long as he does not use chemical weapons? That is morally and strategically indefensible."

The two senators offered their own recommendation saying, “The only way this underlying conflict can be brought to a decent end is by significantly increasing our support to moderate opposition forces in Syria. We must strengthen their ability to degrade Assad’s military advantage, change the momentum on the battlefield, and thereby create real conditions for a negotiated end to the conflict."

State of the Union response

Following the 2014 State of the Union Address, Graham said, "The world is literally about to blow up. The world as I know was not remotely described by the president. Syria is a contagion. Explain to me what happens if the Syrian conflict goes on another year and Assad continues to win. Iraq is disintegrating. The whole region is moving toward chaos, and we’re doing nothing. We’re talking about limiting drones? I hope he will leave a residual force in Afghanistan [so] they can do the job, because if he doesn’t, it will fall apart at a faster pace than Iraq."

Drone filibuster

See also: Rand Paul filibuster of John Brennan's CIA Nomination in March 2013

On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border, without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists criticized Obama for not offering a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster – 13 Republicans and one Democrat.

After the filibuster, Graham spoke out against Paul and those that stood with him. He said, "To my Republican colleagues, I don’t remember any of you coming down here suggesting that President Bush was going to kill anybody with a drone, do you? They had a drone program back then, all of a sudden this drone program has gotten every Republican so spun up. What are we up to here?"

Benghazi survivors & Obama nominees

On October 28, 2013, Graham took to Twitter to state that he would block each of Barack Obama's nominees on the Senate floor until information about the survivors of the attack in Benghazi, Libya was released. Graham tweeted:

Despite this vow, on October 30, Graham announced at a press conference that he was looking forward to confirming Obama's Department of Homeland Security nominee, Jeh Johnson. Graham referred to Johnson as "a really well-qualified guy." Graham also amended his earlier pronouncement by stating that the block did not extend to Rep. Mel Watt's nomination to director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, since cloture was already filed before Graham's promise.

Boxer-Graham amendment

Graham sponsored an amendment along with Barbara Boxer (D-CA) that would allow victims of military sexual assault to file sworn statements instead of testifying in the pre-trial. Military courts would also have to provide victims’ lawyers with audio recordings of the hearing, in addition to limiting the defense to questions concerning probable cause. The hearings would also have to be presided over by an equal or higher ranking officer than those parties involved.

Affordable Care Act

Following the rollout of the Affordable Care Act website, Graham said, "The president promised if you liked your health care you could keep it. He said it’d be as cheap as a cell phone and easy as to access as Amazon.com, so he’s oh for three. How could for three years you haven’t noticed that you got to roll out a website on a certain day and it not work? Everybody’s responsible but nobody’s to blame, I guess, is sort of what I learned."

Graham declined his employer contribution toward Obamacare and purchased his health care via South Carolina's health care exchange. Graham explained that his previous healthcare plan was cheaper and covered more. Graham said, "Sadly, I’m not the only one who will feel the negative effects of Obamacare. It’s happening all over South Carolina."

Following the ACA rollout, Graham acknowledged how difficult it would be to repeal the law. He said, "The hardest problem for us is what to do next. Should we just get out of the way and point out horror stories? Should we come up with a mini Contract With America on health care, or just say generally if you give us the Congress, the House and the Senate in 2014, here’s what we will do for you on multiple issues including health care? You become a more effective critic when you say, ‘Here’s what I’m for,’ and we’re not there yet. So there’s our struggle."

Abortion

Graham said he was going to introduce legislation in November 2013 to ban abortions after 20 weeks. The only exceptions would be in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother. Graham asked, "When do you become you, at 20 weeks of a pregnancy? What is the proper role of the government in protecting that child?"

Gang of Eight

Graham is a member of the group of senators deemed the "Gang of Eight." This term is used to reference eight of the most influential senators on immigration reform and includes four senators from each party. The group calls for comprehensive and bipartisan immigration legislation that includes their "four basic pillars":

• 1. A “tough but fair path to citizenship . . . .contingent upon securing our borders and tracking whether legal immigrants have left the country as required”;
• 2. Reform our legal immigration system with a greater eye toward our economic needs;
• 3. Workplace verification; and
• 4. Setting up a system for admitting future workers (although the term “guest worker” is not used).

Elections

2020

See also: United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2020

United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2020 (June 9 Republican primary)

United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2020 (June 9 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate South Carolina

Incumbent Lindsey Graham defeated Jaime Harrison and Bill Bledsoe (Unofficially withdrew) in the general election for U.S. Senate South Carolina on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lindsey Graham (R)	55.6	1,192,465
		Jaime Harrison (D)	43.0	922,035
		Bill Bledsoe (Constitution Party) (Unofficially withdrew)	1.4	29,073
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,936

---

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source

Total votes: 2,145,509

Democratic election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Jaime Harrison advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate South Carolina.

Republican election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Carolina

Incumbent Lindsey Graham defeated Michael LaPierre, Joe Reynolds, and Duke Buckner in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Carolina on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lindsey Graham	67.7	317,512
		Michael LaPierre	17.0	79,932
		Joe Reynolds	9.2	43,029
		Duke Buckner	6.1	28,570

---

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 469,043

Constitution convention

Constitution convention for U.S. Senate South Carolina

Bill Bledsoe advanced from the Constitution convention for U.S. Senate South Carolina on January 11, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Bill Bledsoe (Constitution Party)

---

There were no incumbents in this race.

Candidate profile

Lindsey Graham

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

• U.S. Senate (Assumed office: 2003)
• U.S. House (1995-2003)
• South Carolina House of Representatives (1993-1995)

Biography: 

Graham received a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina in 1977 and a law degree from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1981. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1982 to 1988 and the South Carolina Air National Guard from 1989 to 1995. Graham worked as a lawyer in private practice prior to entering Congress.

Key messages

• Graham said he voted in favor of the CARES Act and provided financial support to his constituents during the coronavirus pandemic. He said he would work with the Trump administration to support the development of coronavirus treatments and vaccines, secure funding for means-tested stimulus checks and school reopenings, and hold China accountable.
  

• Graham said he helped businesses and created jobs when he supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project. He said he would lower taxes, reduce business regulations, and invest in infrastructure.
  

• Graham said Jaime Harrison (D) was too liberal for South Carolina. He said Harrison supported Nancy Pelosi (D), increased government involvement in healthcare, and providing healthcare to unauthorized immigrants.
  

Sources: YouTube, "Player," July 28, 2020; Lindsey Graham's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed October 14, 2020; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Graham, Lindsey," accessed October 14, 2020; Lindsey Graham's 2020 campaign website, "About Lindsey Graham," accessed October 14, 2020

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

U.S. Senate election in South Carolina: General election polls
Poll	Date	Graham	Harrison	Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Data for Progress	Oct. 27-Nov. 1	49%	46%	5%	±3.3	880	--
Morning Consult	Oct. 29-31	46%	44%	--	±3.0	904	--
East Carolina University	Oct. 24-25	49%	46%	5%	±4.1	763	--
Data for Progress	Oct. 22-27	46%	46%	8%	±2.8	1,196	--
Morning Consult	Oct. 11-20	45%	47%	8%	±3.2	926	--

Click [show] to see older poll results
Poll	Date	Peters	James	Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Siena College/The New York Times	Oct. 9-14	46%	40%	14%	±4.5	605	--
Data for Progress	Sept. 23-28	45%	44%	11%	±3.4	824	--
Morning Consult	Oct. 2-11	48%	42%	10%	±3.3	903	--
Quinnipiac University	Sept. 23-27	48%	48%	3%	±2.9	1,123	--
YouGov/CBS News	Sept. 22-25	45%	44%	11%	±3.8	1,080	--
Quinnipiac University	Sept. 10-14	48%	48%	3%	±3.2	969	--
Quinnipiac University	July 30-Aug. 3	44%	44%	12%	±3.2	914	--
Gravis Marketing	July 17	48%	41%	10%	±4.0	604	--

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are automatically updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Bill Bledsoe	Constitution Party	$0	$0	$0	As of September 30, 2020
Jaime Harrison	Democratic Party	$108,978,639	$105,502,730	$3,475,909	As of October 14, 2020
Lindsey Graham	Republican Party	$69,672,869	$59,742,955	$13,130,873	As of December 31, 2018
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," . * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race as reported and analyzed by Circa Victor. Spending reported as being in support of a candidate is marked with an (S) and spending reported as opposing a candidate is marked with an (O).

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Tossup ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in South Carolina, 2020
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 3, 2020	October 27, 2020	October 20, 2020	October 13, 2020
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Tilt Republican	Tilt Republican	Tilt Republican	Tilt Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes links to endorsement lists published on campaign websites, if available. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.

• Jaime Harrison

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement	Graham (R)	Harrison (D)
Newspapers and editorials
Charleston City Paper		✔
The Post and Courier	✔
The State		✔
Elected officials
Senator Kamala Harris (D)		✔
President Donald Trump (R)	✔
Individuals
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)		✔
Former President Barack Obama (D)		✔

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Graham endorsed Jeb Bush for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

See also: Endorsements for Jeb Bush

2016 Presidential Endorsements by Former Presidential Candidates
Name	Candidate	Date	Source
Carly Fiorina	Ted Cruz (primary)	March 2016	Politico
Ted Cruz	Donald Trump	September 2016	CNN
Jim Gilmore	Donald Trump	September 2016	Politico
Bernie Sanders	Hillary Clinton	July 2016	CNN
Martin O'Malley	Hillary Clinton	June 2016	Twitter
Rick Santorum	Donald Trump	May 2016	Reuters
Mike Huckabee	Donald Trump	May 2016	Twitter
Rick Perry	Donald Trump	May 2016	CNN
George Pataki	John Kasich	April 2016	ABC News
Jeb Bush	Ted Cruz	March 2016	Politico
Ben Carson	Donald Trump	March 2016	Politico
Carly Fiorina	Ted Cruz	March 2016	Politico
Bobby Jindal	Marco Rubio	February 2016	Tampa Bay Times
Lindsey Graham	Jeb Bush	January 2016	NBC News

Republicans who opposed Trump in 2016

See also: Republicans and their declared positions on Donald Trump

Graham was part of a group of Republican members of Congress who said they would not endorse or vote for Donald Trump. On May 6, 2016, Grahm said, "I absolutely will not support Hillary Clinton for President. She represents the third term of Barack Obama, and our nation cannot afford to continue those failed policies at home or abroad. I also cannot in good conscience support Donald Trump because I do not believe he is a reliable Republican conservative nor has he displayed the judgment and temperament to serve as Commander in Chief."

On March 2, 2016, he said, "We're going to lose. You'll never convince me that Donald Trump is the answer to the problem we have with Hispanics. It will tear the party apart, it will divide conservatism, and we're gonna lose to Hillary Clinton and have the third term of Barack Obama. ... Here's what I want to tell people when we lose to Hillary: I told you that the immigration issue is killing us. We're doubling down on the problem we have with Hispanics. We went from self-deportation to forced deportation. Have you ever heard the statement too big to fail? We're too stubborn to win. So here's what I'm going to say in November when we lose: I told you so."

A full list of Republicans who opposed Trump can be viewed here.

Presidency

See also: Lindsey Graham presidential campaign, 2016 and Presidential election, 2016

Graham was a Republican candidate for the office of President of the United States in 2016. He announced his run in his hometown of Central, South Carolina, on June 1, 2015. He withdrew from the race on December 21, 2015. On January 18, 2015, Graham said that he was considering a run for president in 2016. He noted that his foreign policy knowledge qualifies him to run. He said, "I think the world is falling apart, and I’ve been more right than wrong when it comes to foreign policy. But we’ll see."

2014

See also: United States Senate elections in South Carolina, 2014

Lindsey Graham won the general election on November 4, 2014. Graham won the Republican primary on June 10, 2014.

Election results

General election

U.S. Senate, South Carolina General Election, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Lindsey Graham Incumbent	55.3%	672,941
	Democratic	Brad Hutto	37.6%	456,726
	Libertarian	Victor Kocher	2.8%	33,839
	Independent	Thomas Ravenel	3.9%	47,588
	N/A	Write-in	0.4%	4,774
Total Votes				1,215,868
Source: South Carolina State Election Commission

Primary results

U.S. Senate, South Carolina Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Lindsey Graham Incumbent	56.4%	178,093
Lee Bright	15.4%	48,704
Richard Cash	8.3%	26,246
Det Bowers	7.3%	23,071
Nancy Mace	6.2%	19,560
Bill Connor	5.3%	16,847
Benjamin Dunn	1%	3,195
Total Votes		315,716
Source: Results via Associated Press

Race background

SCF target

The Senate Conservatives Fund targeted Graham in August 2013 with two weeks of radio ads designed to push Senate Republicans to support Utah's Mike Lee (Utah)'s effort to defund Obamacare.

Primary vulnerability

Graham was named by National Journal as one of the top five incumbent senators at risk of losing his or her primary election in 2014. Four of the five most vulnerable senators were Republican.

Polls

General Election
Poll	Lindsey Graham	Brad Hutto	Thomas Ravenel	Undecided/Other	Margin of Error	Sample Size
YouGov September 20 - October 1, 2014	44%	27%	8%	21%	+/-2	2,663
Winthrop Poll September 21-28, 2014	46.3%	28%	8%	12.2%	+/-3	1,082
YouGov August 18 - September 2, 2014	37%	28%	8%	27%	+/-5	833
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

General election
Poll	Lindsey Graham	Brad Hutto	Thomas Ravenel	Victor Kocher	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Voter Survey Service July 16-20, 2014	45%	33%	10%	4%	8%	+/-3.1	650
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Election 2014: South Carolina Senate
Poll	Lindsey Graham	Brad Hutto	Other	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Rasmussen Reports July 9-10, 2014	49%	30%	10%	11%	+/-4	750
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Republican primary

Republican primary
Poll	Lindsey Graham	Richard Cash	Lee Bright	Nancy Mace	Det Bowers	Bill Connor	Benjamin Dunn	Other/Someone else	Won't vote	Margin of error	Sample size
Target Point (May 16-22, 2014) (dead link)	56%	7%	6%	5%	4%	1%	1%	2%	1%	+/-2.8	600
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Republican primary
Poll	Lindsey Graham	Lee Bright	Nancy Mace	Bill Connor	Richard Cash	Not sure	Refused	Margin of error	Sample size
Winthrop University (February 16-23, 2014)	45.0%	8.5%	3.7%	3.5%	2.9%	34.9%	1.6%	+/-3.2	901
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Approval rating

Graham's approval rating dropped 30 points in October 2013, according to a Winthrop University poll. Only 45.2 percent of Republicans approved compared to 71.6 percent in February 2013.

Endorsements

Graham was endorsed by the following people and organizations:

• National Right to Life
• S.C. Citizens for Life.
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
• Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

Scott declined

• During an interview on CNN's Crossfire, Sen. Tim Scott, fellow South Carolina senator, declined to endorse Sen. Graham.

"I am up for re-election next year myself. I’m going to allow for all the other folks on the ballot to represent themselves very well. I’m going to continue to work hard for my election," Scott said.

Media

Lindsey Graham - "Fighter."

Lindsey Graham - "Fiscal."

Lindsey Graham - "Defender."

Lindsey Graham - "Opt Out."

Lindsey Graham - "Tough Questions."

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Lindsey Graham, click [show] to expand the section.

2008 On November 4, 2008, Graham won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Bob Conley in the general election. U.S. Senate, South Carolina General Election, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Lindsey Graham Incumbent 57.7% 1,076,534      Democratic Bob Conley 42.3% 790,621 Total Votes 1,867,155 2002 On November 5, 2002, Lindsey Graham won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Alex Sanders (D), Victor Kocher (L), Ted Adams (T) and Write-In in the general election. U.S. Senate, South Carolina General Election, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Lindsey Graham 54.4% 600,010      Democratic Alex Sanders 44.2% 487,359      Libertarian Victor Kocher 0.6% 6,648      Constitution Ted Adams 0.7% 8,228      N/A Write-In 0.1% 667 Total Votes 1,102,912 2000 On November 7, 2000, Lindsey O. Graham won re-election to the United States House. He defeated George Brightharp (D), Adrian Banks (L) and LeRoy J. Klein (Natural Law) in the general election. U.S. House, South Carolina District 3 General Election, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Lindsey O. Graham incumbent 68.5% 150,180      Democratic George Brightharp 29.6% 64,917      Libertarian Adrian Banks 1.4% 3,116      Natural Law LeRoy J. Klein 0.5% 1,122      N/A Write-in 0% 33 Total Votes 219,368 1998 On November 3, 1998, Lindsey Graham won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Write-In in the general election. U.S. House, South Carolina District 3 General Election, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Lindsey Graham incumbent 99.7% 129,047      N/A Write-In 0.3% 402 Total Votes 129,449 1996 On November 5, 1996, Lindsey Graham won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Debbie Dorn (D) and Lindal Pennnington (T) in the general election. U.S. House, South Carolina District 3 General Election, 1996 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Lindsey Graham incumbent 60.3% 114,273      Democratic Debbie Dorn 38.7% 73,417      Natural Law Lindal Pennnington 1% 1,835 Total Votes 189,525 1994 On November 8, 1994, Lindsey Graham won election to the United States House. He defeated James Bryan, Jr. (D) and Write-In in the general election. U.S. House, South Carolina District 3 General Election, 1994 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Lindsey Graham 60.1% 90,123      Democratic James Bryan, Jr. 39.9% 59,932      N/A Write-In 0% 13 Total Votes 150,068

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Lindsey Graham did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Graham’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Jobs and the Economy Lindsey Graham understands that the way to create jobs and build a strong economy is to let Americans keep more of what they earn and get the government out of the way. Raised in the back room of a small bar, restaurant, and liquor store owned and operated by his parents, Senator Graham saw first-hand the tremendous work it takes to run a small business and the invaluable contributions they make to a community. Lower taxes. Less regulation. A smaller, smarter, more efficient government. Those are the values and priorities Lindsey Graham has fought for as a senator in Washington. In 2017, Senator Graham was a leading advocate for the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a historic tax reform package that spurred unprecedented economic growth throughout the country. In the wake of the agenda of deregulation and private enterprise empowerment championed by Senator Graham and President Trump, South Carolina experienced record low unemployment preceding the global COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Graham has also been a strong advocate for South Carolina’s farming and agribusiness community through his support of numerous farm bills. He has been at the forefront of promoting our state’s speciality crops, fighting back against unfair trade practices, and ensuring that there is an adequate supply of legal labor for our farms. Working extensively with the electric cooperatives in South Carolina, Senator Graham has supported efforts to expand affordable electricity and broadband to rural areas of the state. He has helped the coops champion energy efficiency measures that collectively save our state’s residents millions of dollars every year. To assist South Carolina’s tourism industry, he helped pass the Brand USA reauthorization which promotes South Carolina to international travelers and has generated over 173,000 visitors and $1.5 billion in tax revenue, while supporting over 190,000 jobs. He also was a lead author of the RESTAURANTS Act which would create a $120 billion revitalization fund to help independent restaurants overcome COVID-19 challenges. Finally, Senator Graham supports a major infrastructure bill that will help rebuild our nation’s crumbling roads, bridges, ports, and airports. He has been a longtime supporter of I-73 to help with traffic going to and from Myrtle Beach — both for tourism and hurricane evacuation efforts. Supporting South Carolina Here at home, Senator Graham is an integral member of #TeamSouthCarolina, which is the economic development effort designed to bring new business to the Palmetto State. Senator Graham was one of the first officials to meet with Boeing and let them know South Carolina was interested in becoming the second 787 Dreamliner production site. He played another leading role in talks with Volvo in their decision to locate a $1.1 billion manufacturing facility in Berkeley County. Lindsey Graham secured the initial, critical funding to study and kick off the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project. He has led the South Carolina congressional delegation’s efforts in pushing for planning, design, and actual construction funding of the project. With one in ten jobs in South Carolina tied to the Port of Charleston, Senator Graham is proud to have helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars for the economic engine of South Carolina. While working tirelessly to help South Carolina to become a modern manufacturing giant in the aviation, automotive and tire industries, Senator Graham has worked hand in hand with our textile manufacturers to help combat currency manipulation and intellectual property theft by China. He has helped the textile industry identify important manufacturing opportunities with the Department of Defense, and he has led the effort to bring our medical supply chain back from overseas. Nearly every major company in South Carolina has a story to tell about how Senator Graham assisted their operations. Countless constituent companies have worked with Senator Graham on issues ranging from steel and aluminum tariffs to EPA regulations. He has solved issues as complex as helping South Carolina manufacturers execute multi-million dollar Foreign Military Sales to allies and as simple as ensuring allowing our companies to compete for opportunities on a level playing field. To assist South Carolina’s tourism industry, Senator Graham has successfully worked to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This fund has provided over $61 million in grants to more than 1,100 recreational projects across the state. Some recipients of this funding include Beaufort’s Waterfront Park, Glencairn Gardens in Rock Hill, and Caesars Head State Park in Cleveland. Lindsey Graham will continue to put the needs of taxpayers first and foremost by promoting policies that create jobs and a strong economy in South Carolina. A Strong America , A Strong Military Lindsey Graham believes a strong and safe America is only possible with a strong United States military. He supports better pay for our troops, cutting-edge equipment for our soldiers, and strong alliances which help keep us safe here at home. Senator Graham has pushed for policies in the fight against radical Islam which protect American citizens, the homeland, and our long-term national security interests. One leading conservative wrote that when it comes to defending America, “[Lindsey] Graham has been right about more things on foreign policy for longer than just about anyone.” Lindsey Graham wore the uniform of the United States Air Force for more than 30 years serving on active duty, in the South Carolina Air National Guard, and U.S. Air Force Reserves where he retired at the rank of Colonel. Senator Graham has traveled the globe meeting with countless world leaders in an effort to protect American interests and promote American values. He has visited Iraq and Afghanistan over 50 times. While America remains the leader of the free world, Senator Graham knows we need to enlist the help of friends and allies to accomplish our shared goals of peace and prosperity. The right to vote. The rights of women. The promotion of human rights. Senator Graham’s leadership has given him a direct line to the President and world leaders when it comes to discussing the toughest issues around the globe. Judges and Protecting the Constitution This is Lindsey Graham’s record on judges: Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Over 200 district and court of appeals judges – nominated by President Trump – confirmed for lifetime appointments to the federal bench. When he assumed the role of Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Graham made clear his priority: “Judges, judges, and more judges.” Today, 20 percent of all current federal judges were nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate. Senator Graham has made good on his promise. Health Care Health care is one of the most important issues for Americans. First, Lindsey Graham believes no American should be denied medical coverage or insurance due to a preexisting condition. Second, Senator Graham favors health care solutions which put patients – not government bureaucrats – in charge of medical decisions. Third, Senator Graham opposes “Medicare for All,” which puts the government in complete control of the health care system. So what’s the best way to bring down health care costs, cover more people, and make health insurance more affordable? Redirect money and power over health care decisions away from Washington and return it to patients, local communities, and states. Just like no two patients are the same, no two states have the same health care populations and health care needs. Simply put, what works in Massachusetts may not work in South Carolina. And what works in South Carolina may not work in California. That one-size-fits-all thinking is one of the many failures of Obamacare which centralizes money and decision-making in Washington. Instead of continuing to empower Washington, Senator Graham supports returning money to the states and empowering local communities to explore and utilize health care solutions that work for them. Recognizing the unique needs of South Carolina’s rural population, he has used the Appropriations process to bring millions of dollars to telehealth efforts, which aim to ensure every South Carolinian has access to quality medical care, regardless of where they live. Senator Graham has also been at the forefront of funding important medical research. He is a co-chair of the Senate’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) Caucus, which has successfully secured billions of dollars of additional funding. The Right to Life When it comes to protecting the right to life, very few have done more for the cause than Lindsey Graham. He has compiled a proud record of achievement and support in the pro-life cause. Twice, South Carolina Citizens for Life have named him their Legislator of the Year. An ‘A’ rating from the Susan B. Anthony List National Pro-Life scorecard. 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee. Senator Graham is the author of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act which bans abortion after 20-weeks when an unborn child can feel pain. Only seven nations in the world allow abortion on demand after 20 weeks — including Iran and North Korea, and Senator Graham feels strongly America should not be in this notorious club. Senator Graham’s long pro-life voting record includes support for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban, Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The president of South Carolina Citizens for Life recently remarked, “When it comes to pro-life legislation, Senator Graham doesn’t just vote the right way — he leads the way.” Second Amendment Lindsey Graham is a strong supporter of Americans’ right to “keep and bear arms” as specified in the Second Amendment of the Constitution. As an owner of multiple guns himself, Senator Graham has been a steadfast protector of law-abiding gun owners. He is proud to receive high marks from organizations advocating for responsible gun ownership, including a 100% rating from the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Lindsey Graham is also committed to ending the scourge of senseless gun violence perpetrated by individuals who obtained firearms illegally. In the case of the Parkland shooter in Florida, the FBI and local police officers made numerous house calls due to complaints about the eventual shooter. Still, they were unable to take any action to disarm him before he killed seventeen innocent students. Working with members of both parties, Senator Graham has introduced legislation to create a federal grant program to assist law enforcement in coordinating with mental health professionals so preemptive action can be taken to stop known troubled individuals before they strike. This legislation is accompanied by robust due process to ensure no guns are taken from owners without just cause and swift due process. COVID-19 Lindsey Graham has worked to mobilize all of the federal government’s resources in response to the worst pandemic that the world has seen in over 100 years. In March, Senator Graham voted in favor of the $2 trillion relief package, the CARES Act. This historic package brought nearly $2 billion of aid to South Carolina to help local hospitals, schools, and more. Hundreds of billions of additional dollars were provided to low and moderate income families, small businesses, employees, and those unemployed through no fault of their own. While the CARES Act was a critical first step, more is needed to combat COVID-19 and get our economy moving again. First, Senator Graham will continue to work closely with the Trump administration to ensure the speedy discovery of therapeutics to lessen the severity of this virus and a vaccine to prevent further spread. Next, Senator Graham supports additional stimulus payments to low and moderate income families, and he supports providing funding to help schools reopen safely. He also supports reforming unemployment benefits so people make up to 100% of their income but aren’t disincentivized from going back to work. He has authored legislation that would do just that. Congress must also pass liability protections to ensure that businesses aren’t sued for reopening when they follow the rules. Without this, businesses will be overwhelmed with lawsuits. Senator Graham is also working to ensure we hold China accountable for the role they played in allowing the virus to spread. He introduced a sanctions bill aimed at forcing China to cooperate with all investigations into the virus. It’s estimated that 90 percent of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used in the United States today is made in China. Senator Graham is leading the effort to bring the medical supply chain home and manufacture PPE in the United States. That’s why he wrote the US MADE Act, which will ensure PPE is made here in America and treated as a resource on par with military equipment. This legislation was one of the foundational components of the Senate’s new legislation to address the virus. Combatting this virus is a team effort, and Senator Graham believes all Americans should closely follow CDC guidelines to keep themselves safe, which can be found here.	”
—Lindsey Graham’s campaign website (2020)

Campaign ads

"100 Years" - Graham campaign ad, released September 30, 2020

"We're Here" - Graham campaign ad, released September 22, 2020

"Lead" - Graham campaign ad, released September 17, 2020

"Essential" - Graham campaign ad, released August 12, 2020

"The US MADE Act: Bringing the PPE Supply Chain Back to America" - Graham campaign ad, released July 30, 2020

"An American Upbringing" - Graham campaign ad, released March 13, 2020

• "Lindsey cares about the people of South Carolina like he cares about me.” - Graham campaign ad, released October 25, 2020
• "Listener" - Graham campaign ad, released October 15, 2020
• "Lindsey knows what it means to get back up and fight." - Graham campaign ad, released October 10, 2020
• "Security" - Graham campaign ad, released October 5, 2020

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor history

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Lindsey Graham campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2014	U.S. Senate (South Carolina)	✔	$11,056,889
2008	U.S. Senate (South Carolina)	✔	$9,713,500
2002	U.S. Senate (South Carolina)	✔	$5,838,233
2000	U.S. House (South Carolina, District 3)	✔	$2,282,199
Grand total raised			$28,890,821
Source: Follow the Money

2014

Graham won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. During that election cycle, Graham's campaign committee raised a total of $11,056,889 and spent $11,464,087. This is more than the average $10.6 million spent by Senate winners in 2014.

Cost per vote

Graham spent $17.04 per general election vote received in 2014.

U.S. Senate, South Carolina, 2014 - Lindsey Graham Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$11,056,889
Total Spent	$11,464,087
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$524,230
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$522,454
Top contributors to Lindsey Graham's campaign committee
Scana Corp	$75,050
General Electric	$70,500
Nelson, Mullins et al	$68,640
Boeing Co	$42,293
Elliott Management	$41,250
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms	$1,028,867
Securities & Investment	$845,633
Retired	$640,805
Real Estate	$529,216
Electric Utilities	$307,756

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Graham's campaign funds before the 2014 election.

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Graham's reports.

Lindsey Graham (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	April 15, 2013	$4,412,522.84	$1,173,386.93	$(203,139.28)	$5,382,770.49
July Quarterly	July 13, 2013	$5,382,770.49	$1,406,955.71	$(479,739.23)	$6,309,986.97
October Quarterly	October 14, 2013	$6,309,986.97	$1,176,424.79	$(533,899.82)	$69,525,101.94
Year-End	January 31, 2014	$6,952,511	$1,312,688	$(625,854)	$7,639,346
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$7,639,346.38	$873,177.74	$(1,657,878.19)	$6,854,645.93
July Quarterly	September 27, 2014	$3,713,188.55	$372,354.22	$(1,374,368.18)	$2,711,134.59
October Quarterly	October 15, 2014	$2,711,134.59	$694,353.89	$(379,422.07)	$3,026,106.41
			Running totals
			$7,009,341.28	$(5,254,300.77)

• Graham received a $5,000 campaign donation from former President George W. Bush in the third quarter.

2008

Graham won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2008. During that re-election cycle, Graham's campaign committee raised a total of $9,713,500 and spent $6,596,229.

U.S. Senate, South Carolina General Election, 2008 - Lindsey Graham Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$9,713,500
Total Spent	$6,596,229
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$17,105
Total Spent by General Election Opponent	$15,202
Top contributors to Lindsey Graham's campaign committee
Nelson, Mullins et al	$108,541
Scana Corp	$63,130
EnergySolutions LLC	$54,800
Blue Cross/Blue Shield	$50,650
Time Warner	$38,692
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms	$1,463,221
Real Estate	$416,096
Retired	$342,038
Electric Utilities	$270,980
Leadership PACs	$249,000

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Graham's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $298,007 to $1,095,999. That averages to $697,003, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Senate members in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Graham ranked as the 75th most wealthy senator in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Graham's calculated net worth increased by an average of 15 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Lindsey Graham Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$319,062
2012	$697,003
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	118%
Average annual growth:	15%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Graham received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Lawyers/Law Firms industry.

From 1993-2014, 25.73 percent of Graham's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Lindsey Graham Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$30,970,084
Total Spent	$25,885,152
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms	$3,153,060
Retired	$1,562,615
Real Estate	$1,294,922
Securities & Investment	$1,119,625
Health Professionals	$839,503
% total in top industry	10.18%
% total in top two industries	15.23%
% total in top five industries	25.73%

Analysis

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Graham most often votes with:

• Roger Wicker
• Joe Manchin

Graham least often votes with:

• Susan Collins
• Jeff Merkley

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Graham was a "moderate Republican leader," as of September 2014. This was the same rating Graham received in July 2013.

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Graham missed 227 of 4,094 roll call votes from January 2003 to September 2015. This amounts to 5.5 percent, which is worse than the median of 1.6 percent among current senators as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Graham paid his congressional staff a total of $2,593,274 in 2011. He ranked 14th on the list of the highest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked 53rd overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, South Carolina ranked 29th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Graham was one of two members who ranked 40th in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

Graham was one of two members who ranked 33rd in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Graham ranked 42nd in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Graham voted with the Republican Party 79.5 percent of the time, which ranked 41st among the 45 Senate Republican members as of September 2014.

2013

Graham voted with the Republican Party 79.2 percent of the time, which ranked 42nd among the 46 Senate Republican members as of June 2013.

Noteworthy events

Decision to self-quarantine for coronavirus on March 12, 2020

See also: Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

On March 12, 2020, Graham announced a self-quarantine for coronavirus. Graham announced on March 15 that he had tested negative.

Coronavirus pandemic
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COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019, is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first confirmed case of the disease in the United States was announced on January 21, 2020. For more of Ballotpedia's coverage of the coronavirus impact on political and civic life, click here.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Graham is single. He was a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and is a senior instructor at the Air Force JAG School.

See also

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Jim DeMint	U.S. Senate - South Carolina 2003-Present	Succeeded by -