A bouquet of flowers sat outside the Capitol Hill home of longtime South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday.
EMS was called to Graham’s home just before 9 p.m. Saturday for a cardiac arrest. It was later announced he died.
“I think if you didn’t see him on TV or know he was a U.S. senator, you probably would just think he was a regular, nice neighbor,” said one of Graham’s neighbors, Aaron Gulbransen. “[…] Very friendly human being, very charismatic, very principled. I think people just like being around him.”
News4 obtained photos from another one of Graham’s neighbors showing first responders lining the street outside his home.
The moments after they got there were captured on dispatch audio.
“CPR supervisor. CPR in progress now,” it said.
Graham was one of the most well-known members of the Senate and a key voice within the Republican party on defense and foreign policy. He was first elected to his seat in 2003 and was running for a fifth term. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Air Force.
In addition to being a close political ally of President Donald Trump, he was respected by many others throughout Congress. Tributes to him poured in.
Maryland Rep. Andy Harris said in a statement: “Working with him on budget issues made it clear to me that he was a true leader in the fight to restore fiscal responsibility, and he will be sorely missed. His selfless service to his country both in uniform and in Congress is much appreciated.”
West Virginia Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice released statements praising Graham’s character and his service in Congress.
On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said: “Lindsey and I disagreed on plenty over the years, but I never doubted his love for this country or his commitment to serving it. He was a fierce advocate for the causes he believed in, especially our nation’s security and the men and women of our armed forces.”
“I think the thing that we’re probably going to miss the most as a nation is the institutional memory that he brought,” Gulbransen said. “[…] I think he, in terms of raw political talent and an understanding and a mastery of what it meant to be a U.S. senator, which is becoming a lost art. I think that is a big loss that we’re seeing.”
According to South Carolina law, the governor will appoint someone to fill Graham’s seat for the rest of the year. A special primary election has to be held by mid-August to find a replacement nominee who would then go on to face the Democratic nominee for this seat in November.
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