{"id":2612340,"date":"2026-06-09T08:45:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/undecided-voters-could-push-graham-to-his-first-runoff\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T08:45:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:45:58","slug":"undecided-voters-could-push-graham-to-his-first-runoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/undecided-voters-could-push-graham-to-his-first-runoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Undecided voters could push Graham to his first runoff"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fundecided-voters-could-push-graham-to-his-first-runoff%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2612340&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Sen. Lindsey Graham has repeatedly won Republican primaries in South Carolina without facing a runoff, but a Citadel poll suggests that could change this Tuesday. The poll found 18% of likely GOP primary voters are undecided-signaling the race could remain split enough to force a June 23 runoff against challenger Mark Lynch,whom Graham would likely face for the first time since returning to office in 2002.<\/p>\n<p>In the poll, graham leads with 46% and Lynch follows with 36%. That tight margin contrasts with Graham\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-gives-clearest-indication-yet-that-shes-running-in-2028-restarts-2024-machine-21\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris Gives Clearest Indication Yet That She&#039;s Running in 2028, Restarts 2024 Machine\">prior primary win<\/a> in 2020,when he captured more than 67% against multiple challengers. Despite entering the race as a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >clear front-runner-backed<\/a> by President Donald trump and supported by strong fundraising and name recognition-the contest has turned contentious over graham\u2019s stance on U.S. involvement in Iran. Graham has urged a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-doesnt-hong-kongs-tragic-subjugation-get-as-much-attention-as-ukraine\/\" title=\"Why Doesn\u2019t Hong Kong\u2019s Tragic Subjugation Get As Much Attention As Ukraine?\">hard-line approach<\/a>, including telling constituents in March to \u201csend their sons and daughters to the Mideast,\u201d and he argues the costs and sacrifices related to the Iran conflict are necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n<p>Several challengers, including Lynch, have criticized Graham\u2019s position.Lynch, running from an \u201cAmerica First\u201d perspective and backed largely by the Trump-opposition wing of the GOP (including endorsements from former ex-administration officials), has accused Graham of moving away from what Lynch says Trump prioritized in his second campaign. Trump has also weighed in during a Monday tele-rally, praising Graham and suggesting victory is near, potentially reflecting concern about how the Iran-related divide could influence the primary result.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"737\">Lindsey Graham<\/a> (R-SC) has spent more than two decades winning <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-primary\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1924\">Republican primaries<\/a> in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-carolina\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"524\">South Carolina<\/a> without ever being forced into a runoff, but a sizable bloc of undecided voters could test that streak Tuesday in the state\u2019s primary elections. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/poll.citadel.edu\/2026\/06\/02\/voters-in-south-carolina-get-ready-to-nominate-new-leaders\/\">Citadel poll<\/a> published last week found that 18% of likely Republican primary voters are undecided in the race for the GOP Senate nomination, leaving open the possibility that Graham could fall short of the majority needed to avoid a June 23 runoff against leading Republican challenger Mark Lynch. <\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4599926\/both-parties-game-2026-map\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Both parties are gaming the map as campaigns search for new 2026 advantages<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4599474\/what-to-know-nithya-raman-la-mayor\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>What to know about Nithya Raman, the LA mayoral candidate set to face Karen Bass in November<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4598348\/benson-blasts-california-election-system-as-third-world-nonsense\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Benson blasts California\u00a0election system as \u2018third-world nonsense\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Citadel poll put Graham with 46% of the Republican primary vote, Lynch with 36%, and 18% still undecided. A split GOP vote could force Graham into a second-round contest for the first time since taking office in 2002. Graham won his last primary in 2020 with over 67% of the vote, defeating three GOP challengers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four-term Republican entered the race as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-people-are-going-to-be-very-very-happy-when-i-make-a-certain-announcement-donald-trump-hints-at-2024-run\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: \u2018People Are Going To Be Very, Very Happy When I Make A Certain Announcement!\u2019 Donald ... Hints At 2024 Run\">clear favorite<\/a>, armed with President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump\u2019s <\/a>endorsement, a massive fundraising advantage, and statewide name recognition built from his over 20 years in the Senate. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet the contest has unfolded against the backdrop of U.S. involvement in Iran, which Graham has backed, putting him at odds with some of the party\u2019s isolationist wing. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham has been among the Senate\u2019s most vocal advocates of a hard-line approach toward Iran and has strongly backed the Trump administration\u2019s military campaign. The longtime senator told his constituents in March to \u201csend their sons and daughters to the Mideast.\u201d He has also framed rising costs for consumers as a result of the Iran war as \u201cconsequential,\u201d but necessary to stop Tehran from having a nuclear weapon. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That stance has drawn criticism from several Republican challengers in the crowded field, including Graham\u2019s main opponent, Lynch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-graham-says-it-s-worth-losing-my-job-for-non-nuclear-iran-as-midterms-loom\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4571910\/lindsey-graham-lose-job-iran-war-midterms\/\"><strong>GRAHAM SAYS IT\u2019S \u2018WORTH LOSING MY JOB\u2019 FOR NON-NUCLEAR IRAN AS MIDTERMS LOOM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lynch has taken a hard-line \u201cAmerica First\u201d approach and accused Graham of abandoning the idea that Trump centered his second campaign on. Lynch, who has a business background, is backed largely by the Trump opposition wing of the GOP, with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lynchforsenate.com\/endorsements\">endorsements<\/a> from several ex-administration officials such as former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent and former Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump signaled he was aware of how Graham\u2019s Iran war stance could affect his performance in the primary and joined in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4598912\/trump-stump-lindsey-graham-south-carolina\/\">during a tele-rally Monday<\/a> night. Trump told voters that the United States would win \u201cover the next two weeks, when we declare total victory,\u201d and touted Graham\u2019s backing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sizable undecided bloc could test Graham\u2019s no-runoff streak in SC GOP primary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2612341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26085698423786.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[70345,6571,5894,75183,81057],"class_list":["post-2612340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-campaign-strategy-2","tag-elections","tag-politics","tag-runoff-elections","tag-undecided-voters-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26085698423786.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2612340"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612340\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2612344,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612340\/revisions\/2612344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2612341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2612340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2612340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2612340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}