Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly on July 11 at the age of 71. Grahm's death this weekend leaves the South Carolina Senate seat vacant less then four months before the midterms and sets off a replacement process that is running on two distinct tracks at once. What Happened? Graham died suddenly on July 11, days after turning 71. He represented the state of South Carolina in the Senate for about 23 years and had just won his republican primary for a fifth term back in June. Tr