The modest origins of Lindsey Graham, who became one of the US Senate's most powerful voices

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 01:07, 13 July 2026 | Updated: 01:14, 13 July 2026 Lindsey Graham rose from working in a pool hall to becoming one of the most powerful lawmakers in the US Senate and one of the biggest advocates for American power on the global stage. Graham, 71, died Saturday night, with preliminary findings from the Washington DC medical examiner's office saying the cause was aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The office of Graham, first elected to represent South Carolina in 2002, announced early Sunday that the senator had 'passed away from a brief and sudden illness.' Before he became a political powerhouse, Graham's beginnings in Central, South Carolina, were far more modest. His parents, Millie and Florence James Graham, owned a hole–in–the–wall restaurant, bar and pool hall, called the Sanitary Cafe, where the Republican lawmaker cracked he had 'learned diplomacy.' 'It was a good life,' Graham told the Post and Courier in 2015. 'I could go grab a Coke any time I wanted to. In my world, I was as rich as I could be.' Graham won a South Carolina statehouse seat in 1992 and then a US House seat in 1994 before being elected to the Senate in 2002, where he became known for his hawkish foreign policy views. Graham, who was one of President Trump's closest allies, had just returned to Washington from a trip to Ukraine to announce an agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia before his death. Lindsey Graham, 71, died Saturday night. He rose from working in his parents' pool hall to becoming one of the most influential American lawmakers on the international stage Preliminary findings from the Washington DC medical examiner's office said Graham's cause of death was aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease As a child, Graham and his younger sister Darline lived with their parents, mother Millie and father Florence James Graham, in a single room behind the family's hole-in-the-wall pool hall Graham said that he lived a 'good life' growing up in Central, South Carolina, cracking that 'I could go grab a Coke any time I wanted to' growing up His parents owned a restaurant, bar and pool hall, called the Sanitary Cafe, where the GOP lawmaker joked he had 'learned diplomacy' Growing up in Central, Graham lived with his parents and younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone, in a single room behind his family's pool hall, Politico reported. He would occasionally have a drink of customers' beers or a smoke, as patrons nicknamed him 'Stinkball.' Graham, who was only a C student in high school, became the first member of his family to attend college when he enrolled at the University of South Carolina. But while in school, his mom died of Hodgkin lymphoma. Within a 15 month period, his dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died of a heart attack. Graham said he went from the 'best of times to completely absolutely devastated in about 18 months,' recalling a trip he took with his family in 1975. 'We went on a vacation to Disney World, which was just like going to the moon for us: a plane ride, going to Disney World,' Graham told CNN in 2015. 'And a few months after that, my mom was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease, and she passed by June.' He added: 'If it wasn't for my family, friends … and faith, I would not be sitting here today.' After that, Graham was instrumental in raising his sister, 13 at the time. He later became her legal guardian. 'He's kind of like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one,' Nordone told The New York Times in 2015. 'I've always looked up to Lindsey.' Darline Graham Nordone, Graham's younger sister, said he was 'kind of like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one' Graham became his sister's legal guardian after their parents' death, as they died within 15-month time span A photo of the interior of the Sanitary Cafe, owned by Graham's parents Graham was originally a staunch opponent of President Trump before becoming one of his greatest allies Did Lindsey Graham's rise from humble beginnings make him a better leader or compromise his values? What's your view?After earning his law degree from the University of South Carolina's School of Law in 1981, Graham served as a judge advocate general in the Air Force. He started as a defense attorney for accused troops and later rose to the Air Force's chief prosecutor in Europe, based in Germany. He returned to South Carolina in 1989 but was a reserve or National Guard member for decades afterwards. It was upon coming back home that Graham entered politics, challenging Democratic incumbent Lowell W. Ross for South Carolina's House District 2 in 1992. Graham won with 6,389 votes to Ross' 4,177 votes, per South Carolina Election Commission records. This began the GOP lawmaker's remarkably fast ascent. Two years later, Graham ran for South Carolina's 3rd Congressional District after the incumbent Democrat, Butler Derrick, decided to retire, and won. The seat had been occupied by a Democrat since 1877, according to The New York Times. Graham became known for being one of a group of young Republicans who pushed to oust then–House Speaker Newt Gingrich for cutting too many deals with then–president, Bill Clinton, a Democrat. The rising Republican star also became known for his role in Clinton's impeachment proceedings for his sex scandal with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. 'Is this Watergate or Peyton Place?' Graham memorably asked at one impeachment hearing in 1998, referring to the 60s soap opera. Graham, pictured in December 1998, was one of the most prominent figures in Bill Clinton's impeachment hearings for his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky The Republican lawmaker is pictured here in his office of the US Capitol building on the second-to-last day of Clinton's impeachment trial Graham, pictured in January 1999, won reelection to the House three times and seved for four terms The South Carolina lawmaker announced a presidential run for 2016. He is pictured here in Central, South Carolina, revealing his bid Graham would win reelection to the House three times, serving for a total of four terms from January 1995 to January 2003. But when South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond retired in 2003, Graham turned his attention to the Senate and ran to succeed the GOP stalwart. He disposed of Democratic candidate Alex Sanders and won the race with 54.4 percent of the vote. Graham quickly emerged as one of the Senate's biggest hawks and became known for his friendship with senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman, a Democrat who later became an Independent. The group of lawmakers was known as the Three Amigos, as they traveled the globe and pushed for US intervention, notably in the Middle East. While in Senate, Graham briefly switched back to active status to help advise the Air Force during the Iraq War. He was awarded the Bronze Star medal for service in 2014 before formally retiring as a colonel in 2015. When McCain died from glioblastoma in 2018, an emotional Graham broke down in tears on the Senate floor. 'He failed a lot, but he never quit,' Graham said. 'The reason we're talking about him today and the reason I'm crying is because he was successful in spite of his failures.' McCain's daughter, Meghan, paid tribute to Graham as 'always the person you hoped you sat next to at a dinner party' Sunday on X. 'Lindsey brought humor and loyalty to my Dad's political defeats and was a constant source of support for my mother after my Dad's passing,' she wrote. 'As a politician his skills were unmatched which is why he won so many elections and was well on his way to winning another.' After the Republican lawmaker's death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Graham 'understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable' Graham, pictured on July 10, had returned to Washington DC from a trip to Ukraine before his death was announced in the early hours of Sunday Graham, who served as a judge advocate general in the Air Force after he graduated from the University of South Carolina's law school, retired as a colonel in 2015 In his later years, Graham was initially a firm opponent of President Trump, even running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. But Graham later became one of Trump's closest allies, frequently golfing with him and endorsing his MAGA policies. On Monday, Graham had called Trump 'the GOAT of Presidents' on his X account. After Graham's death, Trump remembered him as 'one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.' 'He was always working, and was a true American Patriot,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!' Graham was also known for his support of Ukraine and Israel, being one of the leading voices in the US' support of both countries amid separate ongoing wars. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the world figures who remembered Graham after his death. '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,' Netanyahu wrote on X. He added: 'Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.'