The South Carolina senator suffered a tear in the inner wall of his body’s main artery, linked to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease; final determination awaits toxicology and microscopic testing

The South Carolina senator’s office said the 71-year-old died after a “brief and sudden illness.”

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham died Saturday evening after a "brief and sudden illness.

The South Carolina Republican was running for reelection to his fifth term in the Senate, having begun his tenure in 2003.