Lindsey Graham
RepublicanU.S. Senator, SC| Age | 70 (b. 1955-07-09) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 1995-01-04 (~31 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (Scots-Irish descent) |
| Religion | Christian (Southern Baptist); member of Corinth Baptist Church, Seneca, South Carolina |
| Education | B.A. in psychology, University of South Carolina (1977); J.D., University of South Carolina School of Law (1981) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney (private practice); U.S. Air Force JAG officer; Assistant County Attorney for Oconee County (1988-1992); City Attorney for Central, SC (1990-1994) |
| Military service | Yes: U.S. Air Force / Air Force Reserve / Air National Guard (Colonel) |
| Birthplace | Central, South Carolina |
| Marital status | Never married (single) |
| Children | 0 |
| Residence | Seneca, South Carolina |
| Notable relatives | Younger sister Darline Graham Nordone, whom Graham became legal guardian of and helped raise after both parents died when he was 21; no relatives in politics (no political dynasty) |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2002 |
| Previous offices | South Carolina House of Representatives (1993-1995) · U.S. House of Representatives, South Carolina's 3rd district (1995-2003) |
| Committees | Committee on the Budget (Chairman) · Committee on the Judiciary · Committee on Appropriations · Committee on Environment and Public Works |
| Leadership | Chair, Senate Budget Committee (2025-present) · Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee (2019-2021) · Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee (2023-2025) · Ranking Member, Senate Budget Committee (2021-2023) |
| Ideology | Conservative Republican with hawkish/neoconservative foreign-policy views; known for occasional bipartisan dealmaking (immigration 'Gang of Eight', 2022 gun-safety bill). Ranked among the more bipartisan senators by the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index. |
| Signature legislation | Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (20-week abortion ban, 2015) · Graham-Cassidy amendment to repeal/replace the Affordable Care Act (2017) · Bipartisan 'Gang of Eight' comprehensive immigration reform bill (2013) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $308,044–$1,280,000 (2018) · estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top industries: Lawyers/Law Firms · Securities & Investment · Retired · Real Estate · Republican/Conservative groups
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC ADR 178: Campaign Finance Reporting Violations (Audit 03-21) business
An FEC audit of the Lindsey Graham for Senate committee's 2002 election-cycle reports found misstatements of financial activity, including overstated and understated receipts, disbursements, and cash-on-hand figures, as well as eight inter-committee transfers that were improperly or incompletely disclosed. The violations were cited under 2 U.S.C. § 434(b) and related FEC reporting regulations. The matter was resolved through the FEC's Alternative Dispute Resolution program in October 2004, with the committee paying a $10,000 penalty and filing amended reports.
resolved — Senate Ethics Committee Public Letter of Admonition for soliciting campaign donations in a federal building
On November 30, 2022, during a Fox News interview conducted in the Russell Senate Office Building, Graham made repeated on-air appeals (encouraging viewers to donate via the campaign website roughly five times in a four-minute interview) for Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker. Senate rules prohibit soliciting or receiving campaign contributions in federal buildings. Graham self-reported the conduct. On March 23, 2023, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics issued him a Public Letter of Admonition, stating his actions were contrary to Senate standards of conduct and resulted in harm to public trust and confidence in the Senate. This was a formal action by an official Senate body.
resolved — Senate Ethics Committee Public Letter of Admonition: Campaign Solicitation for Herschel Walker (2023)
During a November 30, 2022 Fox News interview conducted in the Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Graham solicited campaign contributions for Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker five separate times in a roughly nine-minute segment, directing viewers to Walker's campaign website. The Senate Ethics Committee, chaired by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and vice-chaired by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), found that Graham 'impermissibly conducted campaign activity in a federal building' and that he 'directly solicited campaign contributions' in violation of Senate rules. Noting that Graham had already received a private letter for a similar 2020 violation, the bipartisan committee issued a rare public Letter of Admonition on March 23, 2023, stating his actions caused 'harm to the public trust and confidence in the United States Senate.' Graham acknowledged the mistake and said he would do better.