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Lindsey Graham, the longtime Republican senator from South Carolina, died suddenly Saturday night, creating an unexpected vacancy in the midst of his campaign for a fifth term.
His death further complicates President Donald Trump's agenda in Congress, by temporarily narrowing an already wobbly GOP majority in the Senate, and raises questions about U.S. policy toward Russia. Graham, a vocal foreign policy hawk, was a strong supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia and recently returned from meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Here's what we know about what comes next for Graham's Senate seat:
There could be a replacement for Graham soon
Under South Carolina law, the governor can appoint someone to serve out the remainder of Graham's term at any time. Michelle LeClair, a spokesperson for Gov. Henry McMaster (R), declined to answer questions about his timeline for filling the position, writing in an email that "at this time, our focus is on honoring Senator Graham's life and service." In a statement, McMaster called Graham "irreplaceable" and "the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America."
A special election will take place quickly
Graham won the Republican Senate primary last month and was the heavy favorite to win November's general election against Democrat Annie Andrews in conservative South Carolina. Now the GOP must find a new candidate through a special election, according to state law.
The filing period will open the second Tuesday after Graham's death, which falls on July 21. Candidates will then have one week, through July 28, to declare their interest in filling his seat. A special primary will take place two weeks later, on Aug. 11. If no candidate wins outright, a runoff will take place two weeks after that, on Aug. 25.
It is likely to be highly competitive
Graham held his Senate seat for more than two decades, essentially locking out a generation of ambitious South Carolina politicians. There could be a scramble among Republicans for what has the potential to become a lifetime position in a deep-red state.
South Carolina has six sitting GOP House members, including Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, who both gave up their seats and ran unsuccessfully for governor this year. Two people familiar with Mace's thinking confirmed that she is strongly considering running for Senate, and she posted a clip on social media from "The Godfather Part III" showing Michael Corleone saying, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."
A person familiar with Norman's thinking said he is also considering a run.
Rep. Joe Wilson, whose son Alan Wilson is the Republican nominee for governor, signaled he would decline to vie for Graham's seat before his House term is up, to maintain his party's slim majority in that chamber.
South Carolina's crowded gubernatorial primary also included Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Trump's initial pick, who came in first in the primary but lost to Alan Wilson in a runoff. Evette is close to McMaster, who backed her gubernatorial run. A person close to Evette, who spoke with her following Graham's death, said the lieutenant governor has been inundated with messages urging her to seek the appointment and to run in the special election, but that Evette has not made a decision.
Graham faced a primary challenge from the right in business owner Mark Lynch, who received nearly 29 percent of the vote in June. Lynch's campaign did not immediately respond to questions about whether he would seek the seat again. In a statement about Graham's death, Lynch said, "While we had our political disagreements, today is not a day for politics."
In the end, Trump may have the decisive voice in Graham's replacement, given the outsize weight his endorsement carries in the Republican Party. Trump said Sunday morning on NBC News's "Meet the Press" that there is "somebody that I think would be great" to fill Graham's seat, though he declined to share the name because it was "too soon." He added, "I don't want to even talk about anybody, but I do have somebody that I think is really good."
Senate Republicans will miss Graham's vote
When the Senate returns this week from recess, Republicans will be down two members. In addition to Graham, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has been hospitalized since last month, with little clarity about his condition.
Now the GOP will have only the barest majority to pursue its agenda, including the confirmation of Trump's controversial nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche, who is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday. Despite previously holding a 53-47 edge, the GOP has increasingly struggled to keep its caucus together on key votes due to ideological clashes between Trump and more moderate Republicans.
There is not much time for them to act. The Senate plans to work for the next four weeks, then take off for another month, returning in mid-September.
Graham, who chaired the Senate Budget Committee, had been expected to help shepherd another Republican reconciliation bill, giving Trump an easier path to pursue his priorities through fast-track fiscal legislation. His position may now fall to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), the most senior Republican on the panel who does not already lead another committee. Grace Carnathan, a spokesperson for Johnson, said in a statement that he "is prepared to serve as budget chair when announced."
And shortly before his death, Graham announced a bipartisan deal with the White House to advance long-delayed sanctions on Russia with the aim of exerting renewed pressure on the country to end its war against Ukraine. The status of that effort now is uncertain.
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