Washington, D.C., abhors a vacuum, so it should come as no surprise that, immediately after absorbing the shock news that South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham died late Saturday evening, speculation about who would replace him began.

Under state law, Gov. Henry McMaster has the authority to appoint someone to replace Graham. And, as Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reported Sunday morning on the network, that process has already begun.

“The question is whether or not the appoint a ‘caretaker senator’ – that is, someone who is just there who is not going to run for the seat and is going to serve out the balance of Sen. Graham’s term, which would end on Jan. 3,” Pergram said, adding that Graham had already secured the GOP nominee for the fall midterm elections.

He then said the state will hold a “snap primary” in “five or six weeks” to determine who will run against the Democratic nominee.

“Now, the question is about the who,” Pergram continued, mentioning current Rep. Russell Fry of South Carolina, as well as outgoing Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, the latter of whom ran unsuccessfully for the GOP gubernatorial nomination earlier this year.

Graham, a steadfast conservative voice on national security and one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress, died Saturday evening at age 71 after a brief and sudden illness, his office announced early Sunday morning.

Graham passed away at his Capitol Hill residence in Washington, D.C., following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”

Emergency services responded to a report of cardiac arrest.

He had returned from a trip to Ukraine just the day before, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ongoing support for the fight against Russian aggression.

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” Graham’s office stated on social media.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” his office added.

Trump issued a heartfelt tribute on Truth Social early Sunday, praising his longtime friend and Senate partner.

“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”

McMaster also mourned the loss, saying, “We shall not see his likes again.”

Fellow South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R) shared that the Palmetto State had lost a statesman and he had lost a friend.

Graham built a long career as a hawkish defender of American strength abroad and a reliable conservative on the Senate Judiciary Committee and Armed Services Committee.

First elected to the Senate in 2003 after serving in the House, the Central, South Carolina native was known for his unwavering support of Israel, robust military funding, and a muscular foreign policy that put America’s interests first in confronting threats from Iran, China, and Russia.

His recent visit to Kyiv underscored his commitment to standing with allies against authoritarian regimes — a stance fully aligned with President Trump’s America First vision of peace through strength.

Graham frequently traveled the globe advocating for strong transatlantic ties and support for nations resisting tyranny, earning respect across the conservative movement as a tireless worker who never stopped fighting for the values that make America exceptional.

Colleagues on both sides of the aisle have begun paying tribute, but conservatives are particularly feeling the void left by a senator who evolved into one of Trump’s most loyal and effective partners on Capitol Hill.