Sen. Dick Durbin remembers Sen. Lindsey Graham as 'fierce Republican,' but 'key bipartisan ally'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth among Illinois elected officials speaking out Sunday following the sudden death of South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.

Graham died on Saturday after a "brief and sudden" illness, his office said in a statement. He was 71.

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Senator Durbin released a statement Sunday, calling Graham "a fierce Republican partisan one day and a key bipartisan ally the next."

Senator Duckworth also released a statement, saying she is "shocked and saddened by the news," and she "never doubted he loved our country as much as I do."

First elected to the Senate in 2002, Graham had since risen to be one of the chamber's most prominent figures. He won reelection three times, most recently in 2020. He served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was a member of the Appropriations, Judiciary and Environment and Public Works committees. Graham was running for a fifth Senate term.

Graham, who was most known for his hawkish foreign policy positions, mounted a brief bid for the party's presidential nomination during the 2016 campaign and later was a vocal critic of Donald Trump, the eventual GOP nominee. Yet Graham became one of the now-president's closest allies in office, speaking with him frequently and becoming a regular presence on the golf course alongside Trump.

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Full statement from Senator Durbin:
"I was with Lindsey last week at the NATO Summit in Türkiye. At a private dinner at the Ambassador's residence, he was working every Senator on a strategy to end the war in Ukraine. Typical Lindsey.

"Lindsey was part of every important policy issue and an indispensable player in every Senate 'gang'. He was a fierce Republican partisan one day and a key bipartisan ally the next.

"When I was Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he was the Ranking Republican. His word was good-no cheap shots.

"He knew the Dream Act was my most important bill. He was the only Republican who would cosponsor it for years. I will never forget it.

"Loretta and I send our condolences to Lindsey's family and legion of friends in South Carolina and around the world."

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Full statement from Senator Duckworth:
"Shocked and saddened by the news that Senator Lindsey Graham has passed. We didn't agree on everything, but I never doubted he loved our country as much as I do. He devoted his life to serving our nation, first in uniform for over 33 years and then in the Senate where he fought for the best interests of his constituents, our servicemembers, our fellow Veterans and partners and allies around the globe.

"My heart is with his loved ones and the people of South Carolina during this difficult time.

"May he rest in peace."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.