South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a strong ally of President Donald Trump and a former presidential candidate, passed away Saturday night after a brief and sudden illness, according to a statement from his office. He was 71.
Sen. Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this difficult period. On social media, Trump called Graham a true patriot, saying he was always working and will be greatly missed.
Graham, first elected to the Senate in 2002, was running for reelection. His political career began in 1996 in the U.S. House of Representatives as the first Republican to win in the South Carolina 3rd Congressional District since 1877.
Graham ran for president in 2015 in a crowded Republican primary field that included then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, then-Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Trump. He dropped out of the race six months after announcing his candidacy.
The South Carolina native was an Air Force veteran, serving as a lawyer for six years, and served in the South Carolina Air National Guard until 1995.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
