Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died Saturday evening at age 71 after what his office called a “brief and sudden illness.” The four-term Republican was a longtime foreign policy hawk and one of President Trump’s closest allies in Congress, according to the Associated Press and CBS News.
Graham’s office did not release additional details. CBS News reported an emergency call was placed Saturday evening to a residence tied to the senator. The network also reported Graham had returned from a trip to Ukraine and had been scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Both AP and CBS reported Trump said he spoke with Graham on Saturday evening after the senator returned from the trip.
Graham’s national profile stretched over decades. Axios noted he first broke through as a House manager during President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial, later winning a U.S. Senate seat and forging a high-profile friendship with the late Sen. John McCain. In recent years, he became a key partner to Trump on foreign policy while maintaining a hard line toward adversaries like Russia and Iran, the AP and Axios reported.
His death jolts South Carolina politics in a year the seat was already on the ballot. Under state law, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster may appoint a temporary replacement, CBS News reported. Because the election was already on the ballot, CBS said the appointee could serve only until the winner takes office in January. The Associated Press added that South Carolina law requires a special primary to select a new party nominee, and the general-election winner could be sworn in in January for a full six-year term.
Until now, Graham was seeking a fifth term. He had won his party’s primary and was set to face a Democratic nominee and other challengers in November, according to the AP. His passing means both parties will need to quickly reset their campaigns around new nominees under the state’s special-primary rules.
Remembrances arrived quickly. CBS News reported that Trump praised Graham’s service and friendship. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, also offered condolences and highlighted Graham’s support for their countries, CBS said.
Why it matters
Graham’s death immediately opens a Senate seat but, under South Carolina law, a GOP governor’s appointment could keep it in Republican hands for now. With the race already on the November ballot, parties must sprint to pick new nominees and reintroduce them to voters. The outcome could shape the Senate’s agenda next year and influence how both parties talk about national security, Ukraine, and the Middle East heading into the final stretch of the midterms.