Lindsey Graham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lindsey Graham
Official portrait, 2013
Chair of the Senate Budget Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Sheldon Whitehouse
United States Senator from South Carolina
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2003 Serving with Tim Scott
Preceded by	Strom Thurmond
Committee positions Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025 Preceded by Chuck Grassley Succeeded by Dick Durbin Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 Preceded by Bernie Sanders Succeeded by Chuck Grassley Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee In office January 3, 2019 – February 3, 2021 Preceded by Chuck Grassley Succeeded by Dick Durbin
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 3rd district
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Butler Derrick
Succeeded by	Gresham Barrett
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 2nd district
In office January 12, 1993 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Lowell Ross
Succeeded by	Bill Sandifer III
Personal details
Born	Lindsey Olin Graham (1955-07-09) July 9, 1955 (age 70) Central, South Carolina, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	University of South Carolina (BA, JD)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Air Force Air Force Reserve
Years of service	1982–1989 (active) 1989–1995 (guard) 1995–2015 (reserve)
Rank	Colonel
Unit	U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps South Carolina Air National Guard
Awards	Bronze Star Meritorious Service Medal

Lindsey Olin Graham (born July 9, 1955) is an American lawyer and politician. He is the senior United States senator from South Carolina, a seat he has held since 2003. Graham is a member of the Republican Party.

Before becoming a politician, Graham was a lawyer in the United States Air Force. He later joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve and retired as a colonel in 2015. After his military service, he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives and then the U.S. House of Representatives.

In politics, Graham is known for supporting a strong military. He believes the U.S. should be actively involved in world events. He has often been willing to work with Democrats on issues like immigration reform and choosing judges.

In 2015, Graham ran for president but ended his campaign early. He was at first a strong critic of Donald Trump. However, he later became one of Trump's closest allies in the Senate. This change surprised many people.

Early Life and Education

Lindsey Olin Graham was born in Central, South Carolina. His parents, Millie and Florence James "F.J." Graham, owned a family restaurant and store. Graham was the first person in his family to go to college.

When he was 21, his mother passed away from Hodgkin's lymphoma. His father died from a heart attack 15 months later. Graham, then a college student, became the legal guardian for his 13-year-old sister, Darline. He attended the University of South Carolina so he could stay close to home and take care of her.

He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1977. In 1981, he graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law with a law degree.

Military Career

Graham being robed as a judge for the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, November 2003

After law school, Graham joined the United States Air Force in 1982. He served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG Corps). The JAG Corps is the legal branch of the Air Force. He worked as a defense attorney and later as a chief prosecutor while stationed in Germany.

In 1989, he left active duty and joined the South Carolina Air National Guard. He later served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. While in Congress, Graham continued to serve as a reservist. He was called to duty during the Gulf War in the early 1990s. He also served short tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he worked on legal issues.

In 2014, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. Graham retired from the Air Force in 2015 with the rank of colonel after 33 years of total service.

Lt. Gen. Jack L. Rives pins the Meritorious Service Medal on Colonel Lindsey Graham, April 2009

Early Political Career

In 1992, Graham was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. He served one term, from 1993 to 1995.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 1994, Graham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for South Carolina's 3rd district. He was the first Republican to represent that district since 1877. He was reelected three more times.

While in the House, Graham was a member of the Judiciary Committee. In 1998, he was involved in the impeachment process against President Bill Clinton. Graham served as one of the managers who presented the case during the trial in the Senate.

U.S. Senator for South Carolina

In 2002, Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has been reelected in 2008, 2014, and 2020. As a senator, he has served on many important committees. These include the committees on the Judiciary, Armed Services, and the Budget.

Relationship with Donald Trump

Graham and Donald Trump in January 2019

When Graham and Donald Trump were both running for president in 2015, they often criticized each other. Graham strongly disagreed with many of Trump's statements during the 2016 campaign. He said he would not vote for Trump or the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton.

After Trump became president, Graham's relationship with him changed. Following a meeting in 2017, Graham became one of Trump's strongest supporters in the Senate. Graham explained that by working with the president, he could achieve positive results for the country. The two often played golf together.

During the impeachment process against President Trump in 2019, Graham stated that he would not be an impartial juror. He said he would do everything he could to end the trial quickly in the Senate.

2020 Presidential Election

After the 2020 United States presidential election, Joe Biden was declared the winner. Graham said that President Trump should not concede the election. He supported legal challenges to the election results in several states.

Graham called Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, while the state was recounting its votes. Raffensperger later said that he felt Graham was suggesting that some legal ballots should be thrown out. Graham said he was only asking questions about the process to ensure the election was fair.

On January 6, 2021, the U.S. Capitol was attacked while Congress was meeting to confirm the election results. When Congress returned, Graham gave a speech. He said that he could no longer support challenging the election. He stated, "Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are lawfully elected and will become the President and the Vice President of the United States on January the 20th."

Key Political Views

Senators Joe Biden and Lindsey Graham with Iraq's interim prime minister Allawi, inside the Green Zone of Baghdad, June 19, 2004

Graham has been called a conservative Republican with an "independent streak." He has often been willing to work with Democrats on certain issues.

Working with Other Parties

Graham believes that elections have consequences. He has said it is his duty to respect the choices of the president, even if he disagrees. For example, he voted to confirm two of President Barack Obama's nominees to the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

We lost. President Obama won. I've got a lot of opportunity to disagree, but the Constitution, in my view, puts an obligation on me not to replace my judgment for his... I'm going to vote for her [Kagan] because I believe this election has consequences. And this president chose someone who is qualified to serve on this court... At the end of the day, it wasn't a hard decision.

Supreme Court Nominations

In 2016, Graham said that the Senate should not fill a Supreme Court vacancy during a presidential election year. He said, "you can use my words against me and you'd be absolutely right."

In 2018, during the confirmation hearings for Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Graham strongly defended the nominee against accusations made against him.

In September 2020, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, creating a vacancy just before the presidential election. Graham supported moving forward with President Trump's nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. He said the situation was different from 2016 because in 2020 the same political party controlled both the White House and the Senate.

Foreign Policy

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko presents the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise to Graham, December 30, 2016

Graham supports an active role for the United States in world affairs. He believes in having a strong military. He supported the U.S. military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a close friend and ally of Senator John McCain, and they often traveled together to visit U.S. troops.

Graham has been a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he called for Putin to be removed from power. He is also a strong supporter of Israel.

Presidential Campaign

Secretary of State John Kerry meets with senators John McCain, John Barrasso and Lindsey Graham in Jerusalem on January 3, 2014

On June 1, 2015, Graham announced he was running for the Republican nomination for president. His campaign focused on his foreign policy experience and ideas for national security.

He was unable to gain much support in the polls. On December 21, 2015, he announced he was ending his campaign. He later endorsed former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Personal Life

After his parents died, Graham helped raise his younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone. He has never been married and has no children.

Graham is a Southern Baptist. He lives in Seneca, South Carolina.

Images for kids

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  Graham and President George W. Bush visit Charleston Air Force Base in 2007

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  U.S. secretary of defense Ash Carter and senators Joni Ernst, Dan Sullivan, John McCain, Tom Cotton, Lindsey Graham, and Cory Gardner in Singapore in 2016

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  Graham joins President Donald Trump for the swearing-in of Attorney General William Barr on February 14, 2019

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  Graham (far right) at the signing of the Fair Sentencing Act in 2010

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  Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen meets with senators Graham, John McCain, and others in June 2016.

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  John McCain and Lindsey Graham in Afghanistan, 2010

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  Graham attended the opening of the U.S. Embassy to Israel in Jerusalem in May 2018

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  Graham with Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu on March 15, 2019

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  Graham visits Kibbutz Kfar Aza in Israel on January 4, 2024

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  Graham with Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 18, 2024

Electoral history

*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1994, write-ins received 13 votes. In 2000, Natural Law candidate LeRoy J. Klein received 1,122 votes and write-ins received 33 votes. George Brightharp ran under both the Democratic and United Citizens Parties and received 2,253 votes on the United Citizen line.

See also

In Spanish: Lindsey Graham para niños

• Republican Party presidential candidates, 2016