Lindsey Graham to lead Senate Republican fundraising efforts in Montana, Ohio, West Virginia

Matthew Christian, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read
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Mar. 3—If Republicans are to regain control of the United States Senate in 2024, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, will likely be one of the reasons why.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee announced Thursday that Graham, who won reelection in 2020, will lead an effort to raise funds for the Republican nominees in the 2024 Senate elections in Montana, Ohio and West Virginia.

Those three seats are considered to be the likeliest places where the Republicans can gain Senate seats in the 2024 elections.

Democrats Jon Tester, Sherrod Brown and Joe Manchin III each won reelection in 2018 — Senate seats are up every six years — but Montana, Ohio and West Virginia have moved to the right since those elections.

In the 2020 presidential election in Montana, Republican incumbent Donald Trump gained three-fourths of a percent of the vote compared to 2016, And Republicans gained three Montana Senate seats and a Montana House of Representatives seat in the 2022 elections.

Trump secured a little less than 2% more the vote in Ohio in 2020 than he did in 2016. Also, Republicans gained one Ohio Senate seat and two Ohio House of Representatives seats in 2022.

Trump carried West Virginia by nearly 39% in 2020 which was a slight decrease from the 42% he won the state by in 2016. However, in 2022, Republicans gained eight West Virginia Senate seats leaving only three Democrats in the 34-member chamber. Also, Republicans gained 10 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates, leaving only 12 Democrats in the 100-member chamber.

Graham said in a statement Republicans can't take back the Senate if the party's candidates are "swamped" by money from the Democrats.

Battling against the Democrats is something Graham knows well. In the 2020 South Carolina Senate election, Democratic nominee Jaime Harrison raised over $130 million compared to the $108 million Graham raised. But, Harrison only received 44.2% of the vote and lost the race by 10%.