Skip to main content

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s memorial services set for later this month

Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the FY2027 budget request on Capitol Hill on May 12, 2026, in Washington. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The late Sen. Lindsey Graham will be honored later this month with separate services in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina, after the Republican died unexpectedly on July 11.

Graham’s office announced Friday that the senator’s life and legacy will be celebrated Tuesday, July 28 in Washington before separate services Wednesday, July 29 in South Carolina: Columbia, the state’s capital, and Pickens County, where Graham grew up and part of the district Graham represented.

While Graham’s office did not announce a location for the service in Washington, congressional sources told ABC News that the event is being held at the Washington National Cathedral. Graham’s office said that additional details regarding the services are forthcoming.

It’s not yet clear whether President Donald Trump will attend or have a role in the services.

Graham, a Trump ally who died serving in his fifth term in the Senate, was born in Central, South Carolina, in 1955. He graduated from Daniel High School in Central in 1973, according to his congressional biography.

Preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia said Graham died from an “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”

Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, was sworn in to the Senate on Tuesday after she was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster just days after her brother’s death. Trump supported her appointment, calling it a “fabulous tribute” to Lindsey Graham, who at a young age became Darline Graham’s legal guardian after the deaths of their parents.

On Friday, Trump called on Darline Graham to run in the upcoming special primary election for Senate in South Carolina, which would set her up to potentially fill the seat of her late brother in a more permanent way. 

Darline Graham has not yet announced whether she intends to run for the seat for the full term. A source involved with South Carolina politics told ABC News on Friday that she has been having conversations about running in the special election. 

ABC News has reached out to Darline Graham’s office, but did not immediately hear back.

Darline Graham, who lives in Lexington, South Carolina, has served since 2019 as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. She also serves on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and is president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.

She also previously held roles with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the governor’s office said.

A special-election primary is scheduled for Aug. 11 to determine a Republican candidate for the Nov. 3 general election ballot — though a runoff could occur two weeks later if no candidate secures an absolute majority of votes.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Derailed train ends up on one resident’s front yard

Click here for updates on this story    DRAIN, Oregon (KEZI) -- On Friday, a Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad (CORP) train carrying lumber and sand derailed in Drain.One resident said a train car ended up in his front yard.“This train goes by twice every day, you get used to the noise,” Everett Baker, Drain resident, said. “And Friday afternoon at three o'clock I heard an unusual noise from it. Opened my front door in time to see the train come apart.”Baker recounts the moments leading up to the derailment.“The effects of seeing a moving train come off the tracks coming at you,” Baker said. “I think it put me in shock. I noticed I couldn't move. I was just kind of frozen looking at it. I mean, it was unbelievable.”Luckily, the train didn’t damage Baker’s property. But one of his trucks did sustain some damage to the front of the car, although Baker said the damage came from a train car hitting a post that then hit the car.“It was a sigh of relief,” Baker said. “I thought it hit everything until I got out there and saw. And it was a relief after I saw it.”Tom Ciuba, CORP a spokesperson, said 12 cars derailed and they “were either empty or carrying lumber or sand. There were no injuries and no hazardous material was released.”Crews have been on site working on cleanup all weekend and have made massive progress already.“They've been working pretty diligently from day break until dark, and they're making headway,” Baker said. “They're done down by my house … looks like they'll be here for a few more days.”CORP said they plan to have the scene restored by Wednesday.The Douglas County Sheriff's Office initially responded to the incident Friday afternoon, eventually handing over the scene to local fire crews to make sure there wasn’t risk of a wildfire starting.An investigation is now underway into the cause of the derailment.“At this time, a definitive cause is unknown as the investigation continues,” Ciuba said. “We thank responders working on scene with railroad management, and we ask everyone to stay away from the site so that we can work as safely and efficiently as possible to complete cleanup.”Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
Read Next Story