A new survey of South Carolina by Public Policy Polling (D) finds that Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is not up for re-election until 2014, is in serious trouble with his party’s base right now.
The poll of this year’s likely GOP primary voters found Graham’s approval rating at only 40%, with 45% disapproval, and 53% also saying that he is too liberal. Respondents were asked this question: “The next time Lindsey Graham is up for reelection will you support him, or would you support a more conservative alternative?” The answer was only 32% supporting Graham, to 57% who would support a more conservative candidate.
Last November, PPP found a similar result in Maine about Sen. Olympia Snowe. Graham has also been criticized by many local GOPers having worked with Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) on a climate change bill, from which he pulled out in April.
PPP communications director Tom Jensen writes: “The immediate relevance of these numbers is limited but when you look at these and the ones we found for Olympia Snowe late last year the message gets clearer and clearer – Republican Senators cooperate with Democrats at their own peril.”
