US Senator Lindsey Graham dies after 'brief and sudden illness'

By BETHAN SEXTON, US ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Published: 07:16, 12 July 2026 | Updated: 07:26, 12 July 2026 US Senator Lindsey Graham has died at the age of 71 from a 'brief and sudden illness.' The South Carolina representative passed away on Saturday evening, according to a statement from his office. 'Senator Graham's family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy at this incredibly difficult period,' the statement read.  Graham never married and is survived by his younger sister Darline Graham Nordone and other relatives. His death comes just days after he visited Ukraine and met with the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss matters surrounding the ongoing Russian invasion. Most recently he served on Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and as a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Prior to serving in the Senate, Graham was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994. Graham also served in the United States Air Force with a six-and-a-half year stint service on active duty as an Air Force lawyer. He then went on to  join the South Carolina Air National Guard until 1995 during which time he was called to active duty in the Gulf War.