U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham Of South Carolina has died at the age of 71.
According to CNN, Graham’s office announced that the Republican senator died Saturday following what a spokesperson described as a “brief and sudden illness.”
First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, Graham spent more than two decades representing South Carolina in Washington.
Over the course of his career, he became one of the Republican party’s most recognizable figures, evolving from an early critic of President Donald Trump into one of the President’s closest allies and advisers on capitol hill.
His political career was also closely associated with his longtime friendship and partnership with the late Arizona Sen. John McCain.
CNN is reporting that, Graham had recently returned from a visit to Ukraine, one of several trips he made following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Emergency dispatch audio indicates first responders were called to his Washington residence Saturday evening after reports of a person suffering chest pains.
Reports indicate that CPR was performed before graham was later pronounced dead.
His office has not released additional details regarding the illness that led to his death.
In a statement shared by his office, Graham’s family thanked the public for their prayers and requested privacy during what they described as an incredibly difficult time.
Graham was serving his fifth term in the Senate and was seeking reelection in this year’s midterm elections.