South Carolina Senate Debate Canceled After Lindsey Graham Refuses To Take COVID-19 Test

The upcoming debate between South Carolina’s U.S. Senate candidates was canceled after Republican incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham declined to take a coronavirus test.

Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison asked that Graham take the test before their second debate after news broke that Graham had been in close proximity to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who announced last week that he tested positive for the coronavirus.

Graham was one of several members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that held a 90-minute hearing with Lee earlier this month. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), another member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also tested positive for the coronavirus.

Instead of a debate, the two candidates will do separate televised interviews Friday night. Harrison’s spokesman, Guy King, told The Greenville News that the campaign was “disappointed that Lindsey has failed to take a simple coronavirus test.”

Graham’s campaign issued its own statement to the News blaming Harrison, who they said “declined to participate in [the debate] at the last minute.”