US Senator Lindsey Graham died at the age of 71 following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.” His death was announced on Sunday.
Preliminary findings by the District of Columbia’s medical examiner indicate that Senator Graham died from a heart condition, Politico reports.
Lindsey Graham was a Republican U.S. senator from South Carolina who served in the Senate from 2003 until his death in 2026. A leading voice on foreign policy and national security, he was a strong supporter of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity following the 2008 Russia–Georgia war. Graham consistently advocated closer U.S.-Georgia relations, backed Georgia’s aspirations for Euro-Atlantic integration, and co-sponsored Senate resolutions reaffirming U.S. support for the country’s independence and condemning Russia’s continued occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Based on the preliminary examination, released by the senator’s office, Graham’s cause of death was an aortic dissection caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
“The cause of death on the death certificate will remain listed as ‘pending’ until toxicology and microscopic examinations have been completed. Once those studies are finalized, the death certificate will be updated to reflect the final cause of death and the manner of death will be appropriately determined,” the senator’s office said in a statement.
