Before Cunningham’s victory, who declined an interview request, the only path to prominence as a Democrat in South Carolina was exclusively through Congressman James E. Clyburn, the powerful majority leader in the House, who is even more influential in a level place.
Harrison, who once served as an adviser to Clyburn, said he recognized the high odds for his task, but believes he is well positioned to win. He identified two things he needed to do: replicate Cunningham’s success with university-educated white voters and increase black voter participation by bringing in new voters.
Harrison, the first black president of the state Democratic Party and a former Washington lobbyist, has taken a moderate line when it comes to politics.
He avoided issues that became litmus tests for progressives, like “Medicare for all” and free college. Instead, its website talks about issues like healthcare and the student loan crisis in broad and vague terms, saying it supports “reducing the cost of healthcare for those who already pay too much” and making “college accessible to anyone willing to work hard. ”
In the interview, Mr. Harrison hinted that he would need candidates from third parties to obtain Mr. Graham’s votes in the general election. Regardless of Graham’s best efforts, he speculated, his persistent perception of being insufficiently conservative could lead to fractures among Republicans.
“Some of these people just can’t trust this guy because he’s been on both sides of every issue,” said Harrison. “There will be alternatives at the polls this fall. There is a person from the Constitution Party. There is a person from the Libertarian Party. And I think there is already a lot of suspicion, at the end of the day, they will not support you. “
The race, once seen as an afterthought, as South Carolina focused on Democratic presidential primaries, slowly consumed the state. Mr. Harrison overtook Mr. Graham in the first quarter of 2020, raising more than $ 7 million. Graham raised just over $ 5.5 million, although he had about $ 4 million more in cash from previous fundraising efforts.