Lindsey Graham Says Primary Challenge Likely

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham says a GOP primary race could be in the making next year as he gears up for another run in the Palmetto State.

"I expect [a group of conservatives] to mount a challenge, and I expect to fight back and push back," Graham told a meeting of the Columbia Rotary Club on Monday, The State newspaper reports.

"I'm a Ronald Reagan conservative. You get 80 percent of what you want, that’s a good day," Graham said.

Five months ago, a Winthrop University poll gave Graham a 71 percent approval rating among state Republicans.

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But two months later, his popularity dropped to 57 percent as controversy mushroomed over the immigration reform bill — which Graham helped write.

Graham has amassed a $6.25 million war chest to mount his re-election campaign.

So far, one Republican, businessman Richard Cash, has officially declared his candidacy for Graham's seat. The State says Nancy Mace, the owner of a Charleston public relations firm, is rumored to be considering a run.