Preliminary Report Cites Aortic Dissection as Cause of Sen. Graham's Death

WASHINGTON D.C. — Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican representing South Carolina, died at 68, his office announced. A preliminary medical report named an aortic dissection as the cause of death. An aortic dissection involves a tear in the inner layer of the body's main artery, the aorta.

Graham's office released the medical finding on Monday. The senator had recently undergone treatment for what his office described as a brief illness. He passed away on Sunday.

Graham first entered the House of Representatives in 1995, serving four terms before voters elected him to the Senate in 2003. He held his Senate seat for four terms and was actively campaigning for re-election in the upcoming November election.

Over his career, Graham became a prominent figure in national politics. He served as a colonel in the Air Force Reserve before his retirement in 2015. He also held roles as a military prosecutor and a lawyer in private practice.