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Lindsey Graham has passed away.

The Republican senator from South Carolina died on Saturday night (July 11) following a brief illness, according to an official statement shared on his social media accounts.

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” the statement reads. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”

Senator Graham was the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, a close ally of President Donald Trump, and he was seeking a fifth, six-year Senate term later this year.

According to NBC News, emergency responders were called to his Capitol Hill home on Saturday night for a “cardiac arrest.”

Just the day before, Senator Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and was scheduled to appear on Meet the Press on Sunday (July 12).

Lindsey was an attorney who was first elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1992, serving from 1993 to 1995.

He then ran to succeed US Congressman Butler Derrick, and was elected to become the first Republican to represent South Carolina’s 3rd congressional district since 1877. Lindsey served in the US House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.

He then ran for the US Senate, winning the election and taking office in January 2003, serving until his death after winning five elections in a row.

Our thoughts go out to Lindsey Graham‘s family during this time.

The post Senator Lindsey Graham Dead: South Carolina Politician Dies at 71 After Brief Illness appeared first on Just Jared - Celebrity News and Gossip | Entertainment.