GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham dead at 71 after ‘brief and sudden’ illness, office says

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died Saturday evening following a “brief and sudden” illness, according to a statement from his office. He was 71.

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” it continued.

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South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster released a statement early Sunday morning expressing that he is “devastated” by the news of Graham’s passing.

“Peggy and I – and our children – are devastated,” he said in a statement. “Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable. The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America – and a loyal and steadfast friend. We grieve with Darline, has family and his developed staff. May God hold him gently in the palm of his hand. We shall not see his likes again.”

Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and won reelection three times. He was seeking a fifth Senate term after winning the Republican primary last month.

Graham served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and sat on the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works committees.

Before joining the Senate, Graham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, becoming the first Republican to represent South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District since 1877.

Graham served 33 years in the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, retiring as a colonel in 2015. An Air Force lawyer, he served in Germany during the Cold War, was called to active duty during the Gulf War, and later completed multiple Reserve deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan during congressional recesses.

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Graham’s office confirmed his death in a statement to Fox News Digital.

This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.