Trump rallies for Senator Darline Graham in South Carolina as polls show tight Senate races five days before the midterms
President Donald Trump campaigned in Rock Hill, South Carolina, for Republican Senator Darline Graham, whose race against Democrat Annie Andrews is tied at 48% in a New York Times/Siena poll. New CNN polls show Democratic candidates ahead in Michigan and Texas, with no clear leader in Maine and Kansas.
President Donald Trump held a midterm campaign rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday 29 October for Republican Senator Darline Graham, five days before the 3 November elections, The Charlotte Observer reported. Vice President JD Vance campaigned the same day in Texas, where Republican Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico for an open Senate seat, NBC News reported.
Graham was appointed to the seat after her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, died in July. A New York Times/Siena poll released on Wednesday showed her tied with Democrat Annie Andrews at 48% each, The Guardian reported. South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998. Fox News moved the race from “Lean R” to “Toss-up” in its forecast.
At the rally, Trump defended his economic record, saying that “for the last three months, inflation is 1.7%”. NBC News reported that the inflation rate in September was 3.7%.
CNN polls
CNN polls of likely voters published on Thursday showed:
- Michigan: Democrat Abdul El-Sayed 49%, Republican Mike Rogers 42%
- Texas: Talarico 49%, Paxton 43%
- Maine: Democrat Troy Jackson 49%, Republican Senator Susan Collins 45%
- Kansas: Democrat Adam Hamilton 49%, Republican Senator Roger Marshall 45%
CNN said the Maine and Kansas races have no clear leader within the polls’ margins of error. Republicans hold the Senate 53-47, and Democrats need a net gain of four seats for a majority, USA Today reported.
See also: Trump says he will respect midterm results ‘if they’re honest elections’.
Sources
- Live updates: Trump starts speaking in Rock Hill during SC Senate rally for Graham · The Charlotte Observer
- 2026 election live updates: Trump set to rally for South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham · NBC News
- Senate race in once reliably Republican South Carolina tied in final stretch – poll · The Guardian
- Democrats in striking distance: New CNN polls in four states highlight party's path to Senate majority · CNN
- Democrats open leads in four key Senate battlegrounds, CNN polls find · USA Today
- Fox News Power Rankings shift Ohio and South Carolina Senate races · Fox News