Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71; SC governor selects his sister to finish his term

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, will complete the remainder of his term in the U.S. Senate, Gov. Henry McMaster, R-S.C., said July 13.

“It’s my honor to ask his little sister Darlene Graham to finish his work for him now,” McMaster said in public comments July 13 at an event announcing his selection.

“Lindsey has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him,” Nordone said at the same event.

Several hours earlier, President Donald Trump said in a post on his social media website, Truth Social, that he urged McMaster to select Nordone, arguing, “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”

Nordone is expected to be sworn into the U.S. Senate within days to the seat left vacant by her brother’s death, serving until his current term expires in January.

After the siblings lost their parents in the space of 15 months during the 1970s, when Graham was 22, and his sister was 13, the future senator legally adopted her, and the pair said they remained close. During his unsuccessful bid for the White House in 2015, Graham, who never married, suggested his sister might serve as first lady should he be elected.

Graham, 71, died unexpectedly July 11 after “a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement said. The District of Columbia medical examiner said their initial findings were that Graham suffered an aortic dissection, or a tear in the inner layer of the body’s main artery.

Graham, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, recently won his Republican primary election, and he would have sought a fifth term in November. South Carolina Republicans are expected to hold a special election for a new Senate nominee in August.

Over the course of more than two decades in the upper chamber, Graham became a key player in U.S. foreign policy, confirmation hearings for Supreme Court justices, and immigration policy. He was a member of Corinth Baptist Church in Seneca, South Carolina, according to his Senate biography.

Graham and Trump had a contentious relationship during the 2016 election, with Graham acknowledging he voted third party rather than choose Trump or the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, that year. But in a major shift, Graham later became a close ally of Trump, despite key differences of opinion, notably on foreign policy. Graham advocated for a robust American presence on the world stage, even as Trump and other Republicans sought to implement an “America First” foreign policy.

A vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Graham in 2022 called for the Russian leader to be assassinated or otherwise removed from power after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Graham was a staunch advocate for U.S. support for Ukraine amid that invasion. He returned to Washington after a trip to Ukraine shortly before his death.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X that Graham “visited Ukraine ten times during the years of Russia’s full-scale invasion and was here with our people when it was most needed.”

“We remained in constant dialogue, and I will miss our conversations. We met twice in just the past week,” Zelenskyy wrote. “A staunch advocate for bipartisan and bicameral support for Ukraine, in recent weeks, he had been working on important initiatives that could help bring peace closer, including stronger sanctions against Russia. We will always be especially grateful for the recognition of our people and words of admiration for the courage of Ukraine’s defenders.”

Graham’s foreign policy views were sometimes bellicose. Graham was a staunch advocate of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, casting it as necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Pope Leo XIV is among the world leaders who have opposed that conflict and called for peace in the region.

But Graham also sought to broker peace deals between Israel and other countries in the region.

“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X. “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”

Graham also introduced bills supported by pro-life advocates, notably the Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement, “Lindsey Graham was an unwavering pro-life champion and a friend. A man of vision and tenacity, he gave wise counsel and advocacy in countless difficult moments fighting for the rights of the unborn child. He expended himself to the work he was called to do, stepping up when no one else would.”

Graham reportedly was working on some of his key legislative priorities — even speaking with Trump by phone — in the final hours of his life.

Axios reported that a person who spoke with Graham on the same day he died said the senator said he was feeling unwell. When the person urged him to seek medical attention immediately, Graham replied he would do so after his scheduled appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on July 12.

Graham reportedly joked: “I can’t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization.” But he died several hours later.

In a tribute to Graham posted on X, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., wrote, “Lindsey was loyal to friends and causes. He was willing to work on gnarly issues and take on (at times) political risks for the right reasons. It is fitting that he died shortly after visiting Ukraine, one of those causes he would stand up for through thick and thin.”

Graham’s death also leaves a Republican vacancy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, as that committee prepares to consider advancing the nomination of Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche.

It also comes as Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. remains away from the Senate after a fall and a subsequent treatment for pneumonia, he said July 12.

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