For the first debate of the tightening South Carolina senate race, Democratic candidate, Jaime Harrison, set up a plexiglass barrier between himself and Senator Lindsey Graham.
During the debate that was held at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, Harrison stood with the barrier by his side.
While addressing the precaution he’d taken, Harrison called on South Carolinians to hold elected officials accountable for their handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More: Lindsey Graham photographed with leader of white nationalist group Proud Boys
“We shouldn’t blame anybody for the inception of this disease,” Harrison said. “Where blame should come is how we handle this disease, whether or not we take it seriously,” he added.
“Tonight, I am taking it seriously. That’s why I put this plexiglass up, because it’s not just about me,” Harrison said.
“It’s about the people in my life that I have to take care of as well, my two boys, my wife, my grandmother,” he continued. “Let’s take this issue seriously and do all that we can to not only take care of ourselves but each other.”
In Twitter posts on Friday, Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that he had tested negative for COVID-19 after learning that Senator Mike Lee of Utah, a member of the committee, had tested positive.
However, Guy King, Harrison’s campaign communications director, said Graham “should have” self-quarantined. He added that Graham’s test results could be “inconclusive after such a recent exposure.”
Read More: Jaime Harrison spent millions on Facebook ads in an attempt to beat Lindsay Graham
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Even if you test negative for COVID-19 or feel healthy, you should stay home (quarantine) since symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.”
Future face-offs between Harrison and Graham are scheduled for Oct. 12 and Oct. 21.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!