Tributes have been flowing in — and plans to fill his Senate seat have been put in motions — since the announcement from overnight late Saturday that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) passed away from what his family, office and medical officials called a "brief and sudden illness".
The 71-year-old had been in the U.S. Senate since 2003, and was set to run for a fifth Senate term this November, which has kicked off lots of talk about who will run for the now-open seat and how they'll do it.
Graham reported died from an aortic dissection, when the aorta, the body's largest artery, separates due to heart disease. The suddenness of his passing and the circumstances are noteworthy, as Graham had completed another visit to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and had also traveled with a bipartisan delegation to Turkey. Pres. Published reports say President Donald Trump noted he and Graham spoke about the trip after Graham returned home around 7 p.m. Saturday night; Trump later noted that Graham reported feeling tired from the long trip but shared no other ill effects.
The Senator's office announced that emergency responders were dispatched to his Capitol Hill address following a call reporting a person experiencing chest pains and cardiac arrest, and later confirmed the 71-year-old lawmaker passed away Saturday night with preliminary findings called the aortic condition.
Graham was in the U.S. Air Force, promoted up to Lieutenant Colonel and was a longtime advocate of U.S. defense missions around the world, and also served in the South Carolina State House and the U.S. House of Representatives.
While far left and right-wing pundits unceremoniously mocked Graham's death, tributes rolled in from around the world, including Zelenskyy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump, who called Graham a "true American patriot" on Truth Social despite Graham's initial criticism of Trump's first Republican nomination in 2016, former Pres. George W. Bush, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, the University of South Carolina, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. From across the Congressional aisle, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman called him "a foreign policy giant" on X, and former President Joe Biden said on X, "Jill and I are shocked by the sudden passing of Lindsey Graham."
Florida Sen. Rick Scott said on X he and wife Anne were "shocked and heartbroken to learn of the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham."
"Lindsey was a good friend and a dedicated public servant for the people of South Carolina and the United States. He knew what it was like to rise up from difficult circumstances and build a life of purpose. Through his time in the Air Force and in Congress, Lindsey dedicated his career to America’s national defense and freedom around the world. I was grateful to work with him."
As for replacing Graham in Congress, McMaster must appoint a temporary replacement to serve the remainder of Graham's current term, which ends Jan. 3, 2027. State law dictates a Republican primary must be held to replace Graham on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot. And just like the tributes rolled out, the list of potential politicians to replace Graham in the Senate rolled out as well, some more newsworthy and viable than others. A filing window will open July 21 and close on July 28, followed by a special primary election on August 11 and another runoff election on August 25 if necessary, according to Fox News. The winner of that primary will then face the Democratic opponent as normal in the November election.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News on Sunday she plans to explore a run for the Senate seat, saying, "I will look at serving in the Senate if that is what voters want me to do," while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said she has no plans to run.
