Lindsey Graham’s shock death on Saturday night has raised questions over who will take over his Senate seat.
The influential South Carolina Republican and one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies died “from a brief and sudden illness,” leaving Gov. Henry McMaster, 79, in charge of naming an interim replacement.
Rep. Joe Wilson, 78, South Carolina’s longest-serving Republican congressman, is reportedly eyeing the interim Senate seat, according to Punchbowl News—meaning Graham’s potential successor could be seven years older than the late senator.
With Graham’s seat up for re-election in the November midterms, the interim appointee would only serve out the remainder of his current term. A special Republican primary will be held before August 11 to determine the GOP nominee who will face Democratic candidate Annie Andrews on the November ballot, and Wilson is reportedly weighing a bid in that race as well.
The Daily Beast has reached out to McMaster’s office for comment.
In a tribute posted to X on Sunday, Wilson honored Graham, writing that he “will always be cherished as an American Patriot tireless for peace through strength successful defeating totalitarians.”
“All three generations of the Wilson family extend deepest sympathy and appreciation of his dedicated service,” he added.
Wilson’s son, Alan Wilson, 52, is currently the Republican nominee for governor of South Carolina and serves as the state’s attorney general.
Questions over Graham’s replacement come as his unexpected death sent shockwaves through the MAGA world, with prominent figures raising questions about the timing of his passing.
Graham had shown no signs of illness before his sudden death, according to a top staffer who spoke with NBC News. Emergency responders were reportedly dispatched to his Washington, D.C., home for a “cardiac arrest,” with photos from the scene showing paramedics rushing a person on a stretcher to an ambulance Saturday evening.
The late senator had been scheduled to appear on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday and had just returned from a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he was photographed meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.
The lack of information surrounding Graham’s death comes after growing concern over the health of fellow Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, 84, who was hospitalized weeks ago for undisclosed reasons.
With both McConnell and Graham absent from Senate votes, Republicans face a temporary disadvantage until the South Carolina governor appoints Graham’s successor and McConnell, who was found unconscious at his Washington, D.C., home and given CPR more than a month ago, returns to the Senate after an extended absence from public view.
After news broke of Graham’s death, Trump reacted with a late-night post on Truth Social at 3:21 a.m., calling the longtime ally “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.”
“He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” the 80-year-old president wrote.
