Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies at 71 Following Brief Illness

LCCN Staff Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, the longtime Republican senator from South Carolina and one of the most influential voices on national security and foreign policy in Congress, has died at the age of 71 following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”

Graham’s office announced he died on the evening of July 11. His family requested privacy and thanked the public for their prayers during the difficult time.

First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 after serving four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, Graham became a leading Republican voice on national security, military affairs, judicial nominations, immigration and foreign policy. He also sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 before becoming one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in the Senate.

His death creates a vacancy in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate delegation. Under South Carolina law, the governor is expected to appoint an interim senator until a special election is held to fill the remainder of the term.