Dems Watching Graham Primary Challenge Closely

South Carolina Democrats best chance to win statewide office in 2014 is probably the governor's race, where Vincent Sheheen is expected to pose a strong challenge to incumbent Nikki Haley.

But that is not to say Democrats will ignore the two senate races involving Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott. Of the two, Democrats feel that their best chance of pulling a shocker--and it would be a shocker--is for Graham's seat.

And if a Democrat did win Graham's seat--so far only businessman Jay Stamper has declared his candidacy--it would almost certainly be because the Democrat did not have to beat Graham. 

The thinking is that it is possible--though not likely--that Graham could somehow lose a primary challenge to Nancy Mace, a Lowcountry businesswoman, who would challenge Graham from the right. Mace would be much easier for Democrats to beat than Graham.
Whatever money Mace raised, she would have to spend to beat Graham. She would then have to crank up her fundraising in short order to compete against a Democrat.

Similar scenarios have played out in other states, where a Republican incumbent was knocked off by a challenger from the right, who then proved to be too conservative for the general election and the seat went to a Democrat.

One of the best examples was in 2012 when longtime Indiana Senator Richard Lugar lost in his primary and the man who vanquished him, Richard Mourdock, lost the general election. 

But there are numerous other examples in recent years--Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle, Todd Akin, to name but three--where a more conservative candidate won the GOP primary and then lost the general election, costing the Republicans a Senate seat they thought was almost assured.

So far, the only official challenger to Graham among Republicans is Richard Cash, a businessman from the Upstate. But sentiment seems to be building in some corners for Mace.

One leading Democrat told Patch," I doubt that (Mace) can beat Graham. But she sure can make him burn through a lot of that $6 million."

And seeing Mace in a general election or a financially depleted Graham would be the best scenario for a Democratic upset.