Lindsey Graham and Southern Politics in State and Nation

Abstract

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is one of the most powerful actors in American politics and has been for over a quarter-century. Unquestionably, Graham fits the bill of a strategic and progressively ambitious politician. Interestingly however, in a time of increasing partisan and ideological polarization in the U.S. Congress, Graham has moderated his representation. In this article, we situate the political career of Lindsey Graham within the broader milieu of the changing partisan dynamics of Congress, his state, and southern politics. With a bevy of data, we show that the sorting of the American electorate and nationalized voting behavior have undermined Graham’s political support across the partisan aisle. Nevertheless, this development has not placed Graham in electoral jeopardy because of the impressive Republican advantage in South Carolina, which should persist for years to come despite evidence of a gradually growing Democratic opposition.