Tim Scott says GOP will keep the Senate as South Carolina race stays tied

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is closing the campaign with a confident message. He says Republicans will keep the Senate if their voters turn out on Tuesday. He made the case on Saturday on Breitbart News Saturday ¹.

Republicans now hold 53 Senate seats and Democrats hold 47. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control, and they must hold every seat they already have ¹.

On tapeNBC News · Nov 1

▶4:04

What Scott said

Scott told host Matthew Boyle that Republicans do not need a surprise. He also said the party could flip Senate seats now held by Democrats in Michigan, New Hampshire and Minnesota ¹.

if Republican voters vote, we win

Scott also argued that public polls are missing Trump supporters. He said pollsters cannot reach people who will not respond, and he cited Ohio, where Sen. Jon Husted is running ¹. That is Scott's claim. The sources we reviewed do not test it.

From Channel GOPAnnie Andrews makes her case to South CarolinaAnnie Andrews · 124 plays · captioned, with the source named

His home state is a tight race

South Carolina, Scott's own state, shows why Republicans are anxious. A New York Times/Siena poll has Democrat Annie Andrews and Republican Sen. Darline Graham tied at 48% each ².

Andrews has the support of 57% of independent voters and 7% of Republicans, the poll found. Also, 51% of voters said Graham lacks the experience to be an effective senator, while 54% said Andrews has the right experience ².

On tapeNBC News · Nov 1

▶8:49

Graham is in the Senate by an unusual route. Her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, died over the summer. Gov. Henry McMaster then appointed her to finish his term ². She went on to beat U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman for the Republican nomination after President Trump urged her to run ².

Trump carried South Carolina by nearly 18 points in 2024 ². A tie in a state like that is a warning sign for the party.

The Democratic response

Andrews' campaign has focused on Graham's record and on household costs. Her campaign told Newsweek that voters did not know who Graham was or what she believed ³.

If you care more about your bills than the politics in Washington, this campaign is for you.

Graham's campaign has pushed back. A spokesperson, T.W. Arrighi, said she "remains in strong position to win this race" ³.

In an August televised debate, Graham said she was "not that informed on national security" ². Democrats have used the question of her experience in the race.

What happens next

Polls close Tuesday, November 3. Other recent South Carolina polls were also close. A late-September InsiderAdvantage survey of 1,200 likely voters had Graham at 46% and Andrews at 45%, with a margin of error of 2.83 points ³.

That matters because a one-point race is inside the margin of error. Neither side can honestly call it. Scott's prediction is a pitch to his voters, not a result.

The Record

1. Nov 5, 2024Trump won South Carolina by nearly 18 points ².
2. Aug 1, 2026After Sen. Lindsey Graham died over the summer, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed his sister Darline Graham to the seat ².
3. Oct 28, 2026A New York Times/Siena poll showed Annie Andrews and Darline Graham tied at 48% ².
4. Oct 31, 2026Tim Scott said Republicans keep the Senate if their voters turn out ¹.

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<h2>Tim Scott says GOP will keep the Senate as South Carolina race stays tied</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/tim-scott-says-gop-will-keep-the-senate-as-south-carolina-race-stays-tied">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 1, 2026.</em></p> <p>Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is closing the campaign with a confident message. He says Republicans will keep the Senate if their voters turn out on Tuesday. He made the case on Saturday on Breitbart News Saturday .</p> <p>Republicans now hold 53 Senate seats and Democrats hold 47. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control, and they must hold every seat they already have .</p> <h2>What Scott said</h2> <p>Scott told host Matthew Boyle that Republicans do not need a surprise. He also said the party could flip Senate seats now held by Democrats in Michigan, New Hampshire and Minnesota .</p> <blockquote><p>if Republican voters vote, we win</p><p>&mdash; Tim Scott, U.S. senator and National Republican Senatorial Committee chair, Republican-South Carolina</p></blockquote> <p>Scott also argued that public polls are missing Trump supporters. He said pollsters cannot reach people who will not respond, and he cited Ohio, where Sen. Jon Husted is running . That is Scott&#39;s claim. The sources we reviewed do not test it.</p> <h2>His home state is a tight race</h2> <p>South Carolina, Scott&#39;s own state, shows why Republicans are anxious. A New York Times/Siena poll has Democrat Annie Andrews and Republican Sen. Darline Graham tied at 48% each .</p> <p>Andrews has the support of 57% of independent voters and 7% of Republicans, the poll found. Also, 51% of voters said Graham lacks the experience to be an effective senator, while 54% said Andrews has the right experience .</p> <p>Graham is in the Senate by an unusual route. Her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, died over the summer. Gov. Henry McMaster then appointed her to finish his term . She went on to beat U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman for the Republican nomination after President Trump urged her to run .</p> <p>Trump carried South Carolina by nearly 18 points in 2024 . A tie in a state like that is a warning sign for the party.</p> <h2>The Democratic response</h2> <p>Andrews&#39; campaign has focused on Graham&#39;s record and on household costs. Her campaign told Newsweek that voters did not know who Graham was or what she believed .</p> <blockquote><p>If you care more about your bills than the politics in Washington, this campaign is for you.</p><p>&mdash; Annie Andrews campaign, campaign statement, Democratic Senate candidate, South Carolina</p></blockquote> <p>Graham&#39;s campaign has pushed back. A spokesperson, T.W. Arrighi, said she &quot;remains in strong position to win this race&quot; .</p> <p>In an August televised debate, Graham said she was &quot;not that informed on national security&quot; . Democrats have used the question of her experience in the race.</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Polls close Tuesday, November 3. Other recent South Carolina polls were also close. A late-September InsiderAdvantage survey of 1,200 likely voters had Graham at 46% and Andrews at 45%, with a margin of error of 2.83 points .</p> <p>That matters because a one-point race is inside the margin of error. Neither side can honestly call it. Scott&#39;s prediction is a pitch to his voters, not a result.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/tim-scott-says-gop-will-keep-the-senate-as-south-carolina-race-stays-tied">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/tim-scott-says-gop-will-keep-the-senate-as-south-carolina-race-stays-tied.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Breitbart News, “Exclusive: Tim Scott says Republicans hold Senate if GOP voters turn out” (2026-10-31). breitbart.com/politics/2026/10/31/exclusive-tim-scott-says-r
2. ABC News 4 (Charleston), “New NYT/Siena poll shows SC Senate race tied as Andrews, Graham deadlocked at 48%” (2026-10-28). abcnews4.com/news/local/new-nytsiena-poll-shows-sc-senate-ra
3. Newsweek, “Annie Andrews polling against Graham compared to Harrison in 2020” (2026-10-07). newsweek.com/annie-andrews-polling-against-graham-compared-t

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