South Carolina Prepares to Lay Senator Lindsey Graham to Rest After Washington Tributes
Senator Lindsey Graham will be laid to rest on Wednesday following a modest and intimate funeral in his home state of South Carolina. The local services follow Tuesday memorials at the U.S. Capitol and the Washington National Cathedral, where the 71-year-old senator—who died suddenly of a tear in his aorta after returning from Ukraine—was eulogized by President Trump and international heads of state, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Schedule for Wednesday’s Memorial Events in Columbia
Wednesday’s proceedings begin around 10:45 a.m. at the State House in the capital city of Columbia. The late senator’s remains will then be transferred to the First Baptist Church of Columbia for a service at noon, culminating in a private family burial in Pickens County, where he was born and raised.
Political Succession and Upcoming Primary Elections
Mr. Graham’s sudden passing has sparked a succession scramble in a heavily Republican state. Governor Henry McMaster appointed the late senator’s sister, Darline Graham, to serve out the remainder of his term. She has since announced her candidacy for a full six-year term, joining a crowded field of Republican primary contenders—including Representatives Ralph Norman and Russell Fry alongside former Governor Mark Sanford—who are expected to attend the funeral. Dr. Annie Andrews is running as a Democrat, with the special Republican primary scheduled for August 11.
Legacy of a Long-Serving Foreign-Policy Hawk
Reflecting on his career, political analysts note that Mr. Graham spent four terms in the House and 23 years in the Senate, establishing a reputation as a foreign-policy hawk who championed Ukraine’s survival and evolved in his relationship with President Trump. While he never lost a statewide election, his moderate middle-ground ideology increasingly diverged from the rightward drift of South Carolina Republicans, drawing occasional friction from conservative activists and primary challengers.
