South Carolina's Senate Race Is a Toss-Up as Darline Graham Fights a Divided GOP. Grudges Are a Poor Reason to Sit Out an Election.

The facts come first below. My opinion follows in the section marked as opinion.

South Carolina is a heavily Republican state, but heading into Tuesday's election its U.S. Senate race is one to watch. Sen. Darline Graham, a Republican who was appointed to the seat after her brother, Lindsey Graham, died, faces Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in what NPR calls an unexpectedly tight race. Many national polls call it a toss-up, while the Cook Political Report says Republicans have the advantage, NPR reported.

Lindsey Graham died from a torn aorta this summer, and President Donald Trump encouraged his sister to run shortly afterward, The Post and Courier reported. The paper said Cook rates the race "Lean R," while Fox News has moved it to toss-up status.

What the polls show

A Trafalgar Group poll taken Oct. 16 to 18 showed Graham ahead by three points, with a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points. A South Carolina Policy Council poll of 1,200 registered voters had Graham up 47% to 46%, with 4% undecided. That poll found Andrews slightly ahead among early voters and Graham slightly ahead among those planning to vote on Election Day, The State reported.

Money has followed the polls. Andrews had $1.7 million in cash on hand as of Oct. 14, compared with Graham's $634,000, according to federal reports cited by The State. Outside groups have spent heavily on both sides, including $7.5 million from the Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, the paper reported.

A divided Republican base

Graham's biggest problem may be her own party. She defeated U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman in an Aug. 25 runoff, and Norman has said he will not campaign with her. A movement on social media is urging conservatives to write in Norman, and Norman's son wrote an op-ed saying he would support Andrews. Two former governors, Republican David Beasley and Democrat Jim Hodges, have endorsed Andrews, according to The State. The Graham campaign noted that both men lost reelection bids.

Trump held a rally for Graham in Rock Hill on Oct. 29, his third trip to the state to help her. Sen. Tim Scott told The Post and Courier, "I believe South Carolinians will vote Republican, and I'm very confident that they will." Andrews has positioned herself as a moderate and often features Republicans at her events. Graham has accused her of distancing herself from past positions, the paper reported.

"Showing up is the bare minimum," Andrews said at a recent rally, accusing Graham of avoiding voters. Graham told reporters, "It really bothers me that she's deceiving the people of South Carolina," according to The Post and Courier.

Dock Line has also covered another closely watched Senate race: Paxton, Talarico Close Out the Costliest Senate Race in U.S. History.

Opinion: Grudges are a poor reason to sit out an election

I understand why some South Carolina conservatives are frustrated. Many of them wanted Ralph Norman. Some feel that Darline Graham was handed a seat she did not earn, and the reporting suggests she has not always been eager to meet voters face to face. Those complaints are fair. A candidate who wants a six-year term should be willing to answer hard questions in public.

But a Senate vote is not a vote for a personality. It is a vote on who will confirm judges, write spending bills and decide which party controls the chamber for the next two years. A write-in protest will not send Norman to Washington. It may only help elect someone who disagrees with the voter on the things that matter most.

Andrews deserves a fair hearing too. She is running a serious campaign, she is well funded, and she has persuaded some Republicans. Voters should judge her on her record, not on caricatures. Conservatives who believe in life, religious liberty and limited government should compare that record with Graham's and vote accordingly.

Moses told Israel, "Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you." Choosing leaders is a duty, not a gesture. South Carolina voters should pray, study both candidates and show up on Tuesday. If you are angry about the primary, there will be another primary. On Tuesday, cast a vote that counts.