Lindsey Graham dies at 71, opening South Carolina Senate vacancy

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has died at 71, his office said, ending a long Senate career that shaped Republican foreign policy and left an immediate vacancy in a closely divided chamber. His death also disrupts a reelection race in which the Republican was seeking a fifth Senate term.

Graham’s office said in a social media statement late Saturday that he died after a brief and sudden illness, according to The Associated Press. The statement did not give further medical details and said his family asked for privacy.

President Donald Trump, who counted Graham among his closest congressional allies, posted early Sunday that Graham had died and praised him as a tireless worker and patriot. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Graham had been a friend and colleague and described him as a strong advocate for the United States and countries he viewed as defenders of freedom, the AP reported.

A vacancy with quick political consequences

Graham had chaired the Senate Budget Committee during Trump’s second term, giving him a key role as Republicans used party-line procedures to advance major legislation while holding a 53-47 Senate majority, according to the AP. His committee oversaw reconciliation, the process Republicans used to pass policies including the previous year’s tax law without needing to clear a Democratic filibuster.

Under South Carolina law, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary successor, the AP reported. State law also requires a special primary within weeks after a vacancy, with the general election winner taking office in January for a full six-year term.

McMaster’s office did not immediately respond to AP requests for details on the appointment or election timing. The governor said in a statement that Graham was irreplaceable and called him a fierce fighter for South Carolina and the country.

A hawkish record and a Trump alliance

Graham was first elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving in the House, the AP reported. A former Air Force lawyer, he became one of Washington’s most prominent advocates for military strength and an assertive U.S. role overseas, views that later put him at odds with some Republicans who favored a less interventionist approach.

His relationship with Trump changed sharply after the 2016 campaign. Graham had run briefly against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination and criticized him during that race, but after Trump won, Graham became a frequent adviser and ally, according to the AP.

Graham briefly distanced himself from Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the AP reported, but later returned to Trump’s circle and remained close to him during his second term. He advised Trump on issues including Iran and Russia.

Graham had recently returned from Ukraine, where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the AP. Zelenskyy said Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia’s full-scale invasion and called him a defender of freedom.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also mourned Graham, calling him a close friend of Israel and saying he had worked to strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance, the AP reported.

Committee power and immigration fights

Graham previously chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee when Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in 2020, according to the AP. He had said on X in June that he expected to lead the panel again in 2027 if Republicans kept control of the Senate.

He also helped write a broad bipartisan immigration bill in 2013. The measure passed the Senate with 68 votes but was not taken up by the House, and Graham’s support for a citizenship path for people without legal status drew criticism from parts of his party, the AP reported.

Graham won South Carolina’s Republican primary in June with 57% of the vote, according to the AP. He had been set to face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, along with minor-party and independent candidates in November.

Graham was unmarried and had no children, the AP reported. His closest living relative is his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, whom he helped raise after their parents died.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.