Medical examiner links Lindsey Graham death to aortic tear at 71
What’s next: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint an interim senator, with a special primary due within weeks.
Sen. Lindsey Graham died July 11 after an aortic dissection, a preliminary finding from Washington’s medical examiner said, giving the first official account of the South Carolina Republican’s sudden death at 71. Graham’s office said the tear in the aorta was tied to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with toxicology and microscopic testing still pending before a final determination.
Graham had returned to Washington hours earlier from a trip to Ukraine, where he had been working on sanctions targeting buyers of Russian oil. A longtime ally of President Donald Trump and chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham was seeking a fifth term this fall. Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster will name a temporary replacement and a special primary must follow within weeks.