Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died Saturday at the age of 71 after a brief and sudden illness, according to a statement released by his office. No additional details about the cause of death were immediately made public, and Graham's family requested privacy. His passing ends a political career that spanned more than 30 years in state and federal office and leaves South Carolina with a vacant Senate seat that will be filled under state law.

Graham was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 before winning election to the Senate in 2002. A former Air Force officer and military lawyer, he became one of the Republican Party's most recognizable voices on national security, defense and foreign policy. During his Senate tenure, he chaired both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Budget Committee and played prominent roles in debates over judicial nominations, military policy, immigration and U.S. relations with allies and adversaries abroad. Although he was an outspoken critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential campaign, Graham later became one of the president's closest congressional allies while continuing to shape Republican foreign policy positions.