Trump Ally Also Faces Defeat Risk... Will the US Democrats Sweep the Board?

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham Faces Defeat in Republican Stronghold
Democrats May Sweep in 'Blue Wave'...President Expected to Control Both Houses
Trump Rival Cuomo, New York Governor, Considered for Biden Administration Attorney General

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The unfavorable situation for President Donald Trump is pushing even the Republican Party into crisis. There is growing weight behind the forecast that the Democratic Party will achieve a 'Blue Wave,' gaining majority control not only of the presidential election but also the Senate and the House of Representatives. This outlook was partly influenced by the situation of Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican, South Carolina), a close ally of President Trump. He is known as a representative far-right politician with a hardline stance on North Korea. If current trends continue, he is highly likely to be erased from the U.S. political scene.

Senator Lindsey Graham

On the 11th (local time), U.S. media outlets including The New York Times (NYT) reported as major news that Jamie Harrison, a Democrat running against Senator Graham, raised a record-breaking $57 million in campaign contributions in the third quarter, the highest ever for a Senate candidate. The previous record was $38 million, but Harrison has far surpassed that amount.

Senator Graham has not yet disclosed his third-quarter fundraising results, but the amount he raised over the previous six quarters is so modest that it does not even reach half of Harrison's total. It is hard to view this as a success for the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who is expected to lead the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, the federal Supreme Court nominee appointed by President Trump.

The fact that funds are pouring into Harrison, who is challenging Graham?a close ally of President Trump who has held his Senate seat since 2003?is seen as an indicator that the dynamics of this election race have shifted.

South Carolina is considered a Republican stronghold, with the governor and both senators all belonging to the Republican Party. President Trump won this area by more than 14 percentage points over then-candidate Hillary Clinton in the last presidential election.

Harrison's surge is also reflected in polling numbers. Election polling specialist 538 reported that as of the 1st, Harrison was leading Senator Graham by 1 percentage point. This is a reversal from August, when Graham was ahead.

The Senate election held alongside this year's presidential election will elect one-third of the 100 members. Currently, the Republicans hold 53 seats, leading the Democrats' 47 seats, but most analyses suggest that the Democrats have a strong chance of gaining the majority in this election. If presidential candidate Joe Biden wins and the Democrats secure majorities in both the Senate and the House, a 'Blue Wave' will be achieved.

Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

In this case, Biden would secure a strong mandate for governance. If the Blue Wave materializes, President Trump is likely to be pushed into an even more difficult position.

On the same day, the online media Axios reported that among Democratic lawmakers, there is a consensus that if Biden is elected, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo should be appointed as Attorney General. Governor Cuomo is considered an ideal candidate for the next Attorney General due to his confrontations with President Trump during the COVID-19 response and his experience as a prosecutor.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.