Could Sen. Lindsey Graham Face a 'Spirited' Tea Party Primary Challenge? (An Insider Says 'Yes')

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) (Getty)

Could Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) face a tough primary challenge from a Tea Party candidate?

One Graham ally says “yes.”

Former South Carolina GOP chairman Katon Dawson told the Washington Examiner Sen. Lindsey will probably face a “spirited” and “competitive” primary challenge -- but he's confident the South Carolina lawmaker will prevail in 2014.

“We look forward to a very successful season, but certainly it’ll be competitive,” Dawson told the Washington Examiner.

“Senator Graham has been one of the most successful politicians at the ballot box and has cut the hide of a South Florida alligator when it comes to campaigns and elections,” Dawson added.

As the chief if the pro-Graham "West Main Street Values" super PAC, Dawson said his organization would ”meet the independent expenditure front that’s being mounted against the senator.”

Sen. Graham’s campaign has roughly $6.3 million on hand, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Dawson’s group plans to add to that amount.

The senator's Tea Party challenger (whoever he or she is) may have a few options available to combat his financial backing -- but it's unclear what they are.

"A spokesman for The Club for Growth, a powerful conservative group that was instrumental in the 2012 primary defeat of Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said that the organization is watching the race but hasn’t decided to intervene,” the Washington Examiner’s Joel Gehrke writes.

“Certainly in the Tea Party groups we have friends and foes, [as] in all type of groups,” Dawson said.

“When you’re a senator who tackles big issues and big problems to help move our state forward and our country forward, we expect to not always be favorable in every type of group there is.”

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