2022 midterms: Lindsey Graham says there was no 'Republican wave, that's for darn sure'
Republicans did not have as strong a showing in the midterm elections as they had hoped, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Tuesday night, telling NBC News, "Definitely not a Republican wave, that's for darn sure."
Specifically, "a wave would have been capturing New Hampshire and Colorado," Graham said. In New Hampshire, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) held onto her seat, defeating Republican Don Bolduc, while Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D) fended off a challenge from Republican Joe O'Dea.
Bolduc, a retired Army general, held far-right views, and went back and forth on claims of election fraud. Prior to winning the GOP primary, he falsely asserted that the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, but after his victory in September, he admitted President Biden did in fact win in 2020. Later, during an October debate with Hassan, Bolduc claimed without evidence that out-of-state voters were being driven by the busload into New Hampshire to cast ballots.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu won re-election on Tuesday, and Graham suggested that had there been a less extreme GOP Senate candidate alongside him on the ballot, that person likely would have won. "If you run that far behind your governor candidate, you probably made a mistake," he said.
House and Senate control still hang in the balance, and it's likely the final numbers won't be known for a few weeks. Graham campaigned hard for several Republicans whose races are still too early or close to call, including Herschel Walker in Georgia and Blake Masters in Arizona. While he did give Democrats a "hats off" for performing "well in a lot of these swing districts," Graham remained confident that Republicans will pick up "51, 52" seats in the Senate.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
2024: the year of romantasies
In the Spotlight A generation of readers that grew up on YA fantasy series are getting their kicks from the spicy subgenre
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
US won its war on 'murder hornets,' officials say
Speed Read The announcement comes five years after the hornets were first spotted in the US
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
California declares bird flu emergency
Speed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, Musk sink spending bill, teeing up shutdown
Speed Read House Republicans abandoned the bill at the behest of the two men
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdown
Speed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Luigi Mangione charged with murder, terrorism
Speed Read Magnione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ex-FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about Bidens
Speed Read Alexander Smirnov claimed that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in a bribery scheme with Ukrainian energy company Burisma
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
South Korea impeaches president, eyes charges
Speed Read Yoon Suk Yeol faces investigations on potential insurrection and abuse of power charges
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden sets new clemency record, hints at more
Speed Read President Joe Biden commuted a record 1,499 sentences and pardoned 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mysterious drones roil New Jersey, prompt FBI inquiry
Speed Read State and federal officials are both stumped and concerned
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
South Korean president vows to fight removal
Speed Read Yoon Suk Yeol defended his martial law decree and said he will not step down, despite impeachment efforts
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published