South Carolina House Rep. Katie Arrington is less than a percent away from unseating former governor and current Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.).
The Charleston Post and Courier reported:
A new poll shows Republican Katie Arrington is within striking distance of defeating incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, a candidate who has never lost an election in his political career. The findings released late Thursday by Momentum National show Sanford’s lead in the House primary race is razor-thin.
The poll asked 315 likely Republican primary voters in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District who they would vote for if the election took place that day. Less than one point separated Arrington and Sanford, with 39 percent saying they would pick Arrington while 39.7 percent said they would choose Sanford.
That’s a tight margin ahead of Tuesday’s GOP primary, and one that is well within the poll’s 4.5 percent margin of error. But there is opportunity for both candidates as the primary nears: 21.3 percent of likely Republican primary voters polled were still undecided.
While a number of voters are still undecided, it is remarkable that Mark Sanford, who has been very critical of President Trump is on the brink of losing to a pro-Trump state legislator. Sanford reportedly waffled on the life issue in a recent debate and was roundly criticized by Arrington for his neglect of South Carolina’s roads and bridges while governor, to say nothing of his use of taxpayer funds to carry on affairs in South America. Arrington recently made headlines when she hit Sanford for attacking the president on CNN, and told him to “take a hike”. South Carolina will hold its primary on Tuesday, and as there is a third candidate in the primary, could go into a runoff if no candidate reaches 50 percent.
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