Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died on July 11, according to a statement posted on Graham’s official Twitter/X account.
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and requests privacy during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement on Twitter/X said.
Emergency personnel responded to a call of a “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s home Saturday evening, according to police scanner audio obtained by NBC News.
Photos reviewed by NBC News showed paramedics carrying the man on a stretcher from Graham’s home to a waiting ambulance. Police cars and fire trucks were also at the scene, NBC reported.
Graham was born in 1955 in Center South Carolina, where his parents owned a restaurant and pool hall, according to Graham’s official website. He was the first member of his family to earn a bachelor’s degree.
In 1995, Graham joined the United States Air Force Reserve. During American military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Graham applied his expertise in military law, according to his official website.
Graham retired from the Air Force Reserve in June 2015 after serving his country in uniform for 33 years, the site reports. He retired with the rank of colonel.
Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and was re-elected in 2008, 2014 and 2020, according to the site.
Before serving in the Senate, Graham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 as the first Republican to represent South Carolina’s Third Congressional District since 1877.
This is a developing story.