Rough week in the U.S. Senate.
Just now via AP…
The office did not provide any additional details about the South Carolina Republican, who was 71 years old.
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement said.
Photographs reviewed by NBC News show that paramedics carried a person on a stretcher from Graham’s home to an awaiting ambulance. Police cars and fire trucks were also on site.
He had just returned from Ukraine after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Graham, a very hawkish 4-term Senator and close ally to Trump, easily won his primary for reelection to the U.S. Senate this year with nearly 57% of the vote against 5 challengers on June 9th.
Before becoming one of his staunchest allies in the Senate, he once described Trump as “a race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot. He doesn’t represent my party. He doesn’t represent the values that the men and women who wear the uniform are fighting for.”
“You know how you make America great again?,” Graham said during the same CNN appearance, “Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.”
Then Trump allowed him to play golf with him. So, it was all cool.
My understanding of South Carolina law is that the state Republican Party will be able to choose a replacement for Graham on the November ballot, and Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will be able to appoint an interim Senator for now.
It will be interesting to compare the process of GOP leaders in the state to the one that Democrats in Maine are currently trying to figure out for selecting a replacement candidate for their own Senate nominee Graham Platner. He officially dropped out of the race on Friday following a sexual assault allegation.
In South Carolina, pediatrician Annie Andrews easily bested two other Democratic candidates to win the nomination to run against Graham this November.
With the condition of Graham ally and former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell unknown at this time, this November’s election is turning into a doozy. Media reports suggest that McConnell’s condition is being kept a secret because if he were to vacate the seat (read: die) prior to August 3rd, a special election would be held to replace him for a short period. The Republican Party establishment is said to be concerned that a special election could result in the selection of a far-right MAGA nominee who could be unseated by a Democrat, in a state with a two-term Democratic Governor. If the seat becomes vacant after August 3rd, it remains empty until the winner of the November election is seated in early January next year. McConnell was not running for another term. Also, the state law (that McConnell helped pass after Gov. Andy Beshear was elected, to prevent a Democratic governor from appointing an interim Senator), could be challenged in court as a violation of the state constitution.
…DEVELOPING…
Turning out to be quite a week for the U.S. Senate…