US senator Lindsey Graham died suddenly on Saturday night, local time, creating an unexpected vacancy in Congress.
Graham was in the middle of a campaign for his fifth term and his death has triggered a process to elect someone to take his place on November’s midterm election ballot.
Here’s what we know about what comes next.
What happened?
Hours after Graham returned from a trip to Ukraine on Saturday, emergency services responded to a call about a cardiac arrest at the 71-year-old’s home in Washington, DC.
The senator’s office later confirmed he died after a “brief and sudden illness”. The DC medical examiner’s office found Graham suffered an aortic dissection.
That refers to when a tear occurs in the inner wall of the aorta, the body’s main artery.
A statement released by his office said this was caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which occurs when arteries become clogged and disrupt blood flow.
Appearing on several Sunday news programs, US President Donald Trump said he spoke to Graham on Saturday evening, shortly before emergency services were called, and that the senator had told him he was “tired”.
“But other than that, he was fine,” Mr Trump told CNN.
He told NBC his conversation with Graham “could’ve been his last call”.
“I just can’t believe it,” Mr Trump said.
“He was like a member of the family to me.”
What does this mean for the Senate?
Republicans already had a wobbly majority in the Senate and Graham’s death has narrowed it.
The party held a 53-47 edge in the chamber and was facing the absence of another member.
A US flag flying at half-staff atop the White House following Lindsey Graham’s death. (Reuters: Aaron Schwartz)
Senator Mitch McConnell was hospitalised for several weeks after a fall and is now in a rehabilitation centre.
He said he would not be returning to the Senate “quite yet” in a statement released on Sunday.
That means that for the time being Republicans will only have a four-vote buffer to pursue Mr Trump’s agenda.
That could prove too small on some issues, as several GOP politicians have recently proven themselves willing to cross the floor on key votes.
A veteran politician and negotiator, Graham was often influential in keeping party mates onside with the president’s agenda and compromising with Democrats.
He was frequently involved in bipartisan movements.
“He could go in and get something approved,” Mr Trump told NBC on Sunday.
“He would just get people on his side. I wouldn’t often ask, but if I had a problem with a Democrat, he could work it out.”
Lindsey Graham often acted as an intermediary between Donald Trump and other senators. (Reuters: Evelyn Hockstein)
White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller also made mention of this trait in his tribute on X.
“I’ll never forget the senate lunch, when a couple Senators were a tad off the program, and Lindsey — in his inimitable way — made sure everyone was onside by the time we left,” he said. “It was a glorious thing to witness. He knew how to move a room.”
Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal, who travelled to Ukraine “extensively” with Graham, said the two “often differed” but “he listened to me and others who might have opposing views and sought to bridge our differences”.
“There were so many important things we disagreed about, but he never let that stop him from trying to seek common ground where it could be found,” Senator Blumenthal said.
The Senate is scheduled to return on Monday for a compressed work period of four weeks.
Republicans are hoping to advance key legislation on defence and national security matters and to confirm nominees, including the president’s former criminal defence lawyer Todd Blanche as US attorney-general.
What was Graham doing in Ukraine?
On Friday, Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
Mr Zelenskyy said the two discussed Ukraine’s air defence needs and a Russia sanctions bill.
He said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of Graham’s death, calling the senator a “true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer”.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Lindsey Graham discussed increasing US sanctions on Russia during the senator’s Kyiv visit. (Reuters: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)
Republican representative Michael McCaul said Graham’s death could strengthen momentum to pass a bill that would increase US sanctions on Russia.
The Graham-championed initiative that won the White House’s endorsement last week.
“The best way we can honour Lindsey is to pass his bill,” Mr McCaul told Reuters.
When will a replacement be appointed?
It may not take long for someone to fill Graham’s seat.
Under South Carolina law, the state governor Henry McMaster can immediately appoint someone to serve the remainder of his term.
What about a long-term replacement?
Americans will go to the polls on November 3 to decide the make-up of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate.
Graham’s South Carolina seat is one of those 33 up for election this year.
Last month he won the state’s Republican primary with almost 60 per cent of the vote.
But the GOP will need to find a new candidate to replace him through a special election, according to state law.
Candidates will have one week from July 21 to declare their interest in running for his seat, and a special election will take place on August 11.
Speaking to NBC, Mr Trump said there was “somebody that I think would be great” to fill Mr Graham’s seat.
He did not share a name because it was “too soon”, adding: “I don’t want to even talk about anybody, but I do have somebody that I think is really good.”
Mr Trump cannot directly hand-pick candidates, but his endorsements this year have almost always resulted in candidates winning their primary elections, according to Ballotpedia.
ABC/AP/Reuters
