2002 United States Senate election in South Carolina

none March 2026 September 2023 2002 United States Senate election in South Carolina South Carolina presidential no 1996 United States Senate election in South Carolina 1996 2008 United States Senate election in South Carolina 2008 November 5, 2002 File:Lindsey Graham.jpg 150x150px Lindsey Graham Republican Party (United States) 600,010 54.40% 3x4.svg Alex Sanders Democratic Party (United States) 487,359 44.19% 2002 United States Senate election in South Carolina results map by county.svg 230px County resultsGraham: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80%Sanders: #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond Republican Party (United States) Lindsey Graham Republican Party (United States) The 2002 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 5, 2002. Longtime Republican incumbent Strom Thurmond decided to retire at the age of 100, becoming the first centenarian to ever serve in Congress; he died in June 2003. Thurmond's record as the longest-serving senator in U.S. history was later surpassed by West Virginia's Robert Byrd. Representative Lindsey Graham won the open seat, becoming the first non-incumbent Republican senator from South Carolina since Reconstruction in 1872. He held the seat until his death in 2026. This was the first open Senate election in South Carolina since 1956. Democratic primary Alex Sanders, the former president of the College of Charleston, faced no opposition in the Democratic primary and thereby avoided a primary election. Republican primary Representative Lindsey Graham had no challenge for the Republican nomination and thus avoided a primary election.Randolph Eleanor How to Succeed an Eight-Term Legend in South Carolina https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/03/opinion/how-to-succeed-an-eight-term-legend-in-south-carolina.html The New York Times 17 November 2019 November 17, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191117013923/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/03/opinion/how-to-succeed-an-eight-term-legend-in-south-carolina.html live This was due in large part because the South Carolina Republicans were preoccupied with the gubernatorial race,Halbfinger David M. THE 2002 ELECTIONS: THE GOVERNOR RACES; G.O.P. May Retain Its Lead in Statehouses https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/06/us/the-2002-elections-the-governor-races-gop-may-retain-its-lead-in-statehouses.html The New York Times 17 November 2019 November 17, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191117014129/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/06/us/the-2002-elections-the-governor-races-gop-may-retain-its-lead-in-statehouses.html live and also because potential rivals were deterred by the huge financial war chest Graham had amassed early in the campaign.Rep. Lindsey Graham - South Carolina District 03 https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00009975&cycle=2002 OpenSecrets November 17, 2019 November 17, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201117233710/https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00009975&cycle=2002 live Endorsements Lindsey Graham ;U.S. senators Strom Thurmond, South Carolina (1954–2003)Sen. Thurmond Backs Graham as His Successor https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-nov-02-mn-64642-story.html Los Angeles Times November 2, 2001 July 13, 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260714005635/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-nov-02-mn-64642-story.html July 14, 2026 live General election Candidates Ted Adams (C) Lindsey Graham (R), U.S. representative Victor Kocher (L) Alex Sanders (D), former president of the College of Charleston Campaign February 2010 The election campaign between Graham and Sanders pitted ideology against personality. Graham spread the message to the voters that he had a consistent conservative voting record and that his votes in Congress closely matched that of outgoing Senator Strom Thurmond. Sanders claimed that he was best to represent South Carolina in the Senate because he held membership in the NAACP, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the NRA, and because his positions more closely matched the citizens of the state. He said he was against the death penalty for religious reasons, supported abortion rights, and supported greater government involvement in education. Graham attacked Sanders for these positions consistently throughout the campaign, but Sanders hit back at Graham for wanting to privatize Social Security. Graham scored an impressive victory in the general election, and the margin of victory proved that Democrats had little chance of winning an election in the state for a federal position. He achieved his victory because he rolled up strong margins in the Upstate, and also achieved a majority in the Lowcountry, an area where Sanders had been expected to do well since he hailed from Charleston. However, strong support in the Lowcountry for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Sanford doomed Sanders' chances of running up a margin in the coastal counties. Debates Complete video of debate, October 6, 2002 Complete video of debate, October 13, 2002 Complete video of debate, October 18, 2002 Complete video of debate, October 20, 2002 Complete video of debate, October 25, 2002 Predictions SourceRankingAs ofSabato's Crystal Ballhttp://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/senate_all.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20021118115505/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/senate_all.htm November 18, 2002 Senate Races www.centerforpolitics.org en-US November 4, 2002 June 25, 2021 dead mdy-all Lean RNovember 4, 2002 Polling Source Date Graham (R) Sanders (D) Zogby International October 11, 2002 47%35% Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research October 13, 2002 51%34% SurveyUSA October 20, 2002 53%44% SurveyUSA October 27, 2002 49%48% Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research October 29, 2002 https://web.archive.org/web/20081029142828/http://www.ncpp.org/files/Senate%20and%20Governor%20Polls%202002.pdf October 29, 2008 53%36% SurveyUSA November 4, 2002 49%48% Results South Carolina U.S. Senate election, 20022002 U.S. SENATE RESULTS https://transition.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2002/senate.htm#SC fec.gov 17 November 2019 December 11, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191211193031/https://transition.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2002/senate.htm#SC live Republican Party (United States) Lindsey Graham 600,010 54.40% +1.02% Democratic Party (United States) Alex Sanders 487,359 44.19% +0.20% Constitution Party (United States) Ted Adams 8,228 0.75% N/A Libertarian Party (United States) Victor Kocher 6,684 0.61% -0.51% 667 0.06% N/A 1,102,948 100.00% 112,651 10.21% +0.82% 1,102,948 53.9% -10.1% Republican Party (United States) Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Calhoun (largest town: St. Matthews) Darlington (largest city: Hartsville) Abbeville (largest city: Abbeville) Chesterfield (largest city: Cheraw) Sumter (largest city: Sumter) McCormick (largest town: McCormick) County that flipped from Democratic to Republican Horry (largest town: Myrtle Beach) See also 2002 United States Senate elections List of United States senators from South Carolina 2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election Notes References General Specific Bullock Charles S. Mark J. Rozell The New Politics of the Old South: An Introduction to Southern Politics 2006 Rowman & Littlefield 39–41 James Hammond Graham claims Thurmond legacy for U.S. Senate http://greenvilleonline.com/news/2002/11/06/2002110631150.htm https://archive.today/20130124201348/http://greenvilleonline.com/news/2002/11/06/2002110631150.htm dead January 24, 2013 GreenvilleOnline.com November 6, 2002 January 31, 2008 Sasha Johnson S.C. Democrats eye Thurmond, fall elections http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/05/13/south.carolina/ CNN May 3, 2002 January 31, 2008 March 19, 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20050319145051/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/05/13/south.carolina/ dead Douglas Kiker Trying To Fill Ol' Strom's Shoes https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trying-to-fill-ol-stroms-shoes/ CBS News August 9, 2002 January 31, 2008 Farhad Manjoo Guns, lies and the Internet in South Carolina http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/11/01/southcarolina_guns/print.html Salon.com November 1, 2002 January 31, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20050312154359/http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/11/01/southcarolina_guns/print.html March 12, 2005 dead mdy-all External links Official campaign websites (archived) Lindsey Graham (R) for Senate Alex Sanders (D) for Senate 2002 South Carolina Category:2002 South Carolina elections