Senator Lindsey Graham has been a perplexing and frustrating case for many onlookers of American politics. For much of his career in Congress, he had the reputation of being a straight-talking moderate. But in recent years, he's veered more to the hard-right, perhaps even to the fringes.
Despite his getting cozier with fringe elements, Graham has taken a more responsible approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, though not necessarily always, taking the precautions recommended by experts. But, as cases have started surging again over the Delta variant, Graham is now apparently among them.
Announces he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus
Lindsey Graham has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Graham reportedly received his diagnosis on August 2 after having begun to feel ill over the weekend before.
Of concern to many, on August 2, Graham was present in public at the United States Capitol Building. He was wearing a mask and seemed to be avoiding interacting, indicates The Hill. However, it's generally been recommended that if you've shown symptoms of COVID-19, you should avoid being in public.
Graham has continued to encourage people to take the appropriate steps to try to stop spreading COVID-19. Saying that if he hadn't followed them, "I am certain I would not feel as well as I do," reports CNN.
Senator Graham is currently the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee. He recently vacated the post of chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. A Republican, Graham was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002. He was elected to succeed the longtime Senator Strom Thurmond, who'd been both revered and despised. Graham has been re-elected to the Senate three times since.
He would make an unsuccessful attempt for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination as well.
His first political office was perhaps as an assistant county attorney. It was for Oconee County, South Carolina, located on the Georgia and North Carolina borders. While holding that role, he also became an attorney for the municipality of Central in nearby Pickens County.
In 1992, Graham was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. Two years later, he won a seat in the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina's 3rd District. He succeeded longtime Democratic Representative Butler Derrick in the seat. Derrick had opted to retire from Congress rather than run again. Graham won three more terms in the U.S. House before moving to the Senate. Republican State Representative Gresham Barrett was elected to follow him in the 3rd District.
Graham was a high-ranking and highly-decorated U.S. Air Force officer
When Graham was a young adult, his parents died within a year and a half of each other. He would end up raising his younger sister as a result.
Graham also graduated from the University of South Carolina. First with a degree in psychology and later with a law degree.
After obtaining his law degree, Graham joined the United States Air Force. During part of his career, he was stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base in West Germany. During the Gulf War, Graham served stateside, largely prepping pilots about to be deployed.
After becoming a U.S. senator, he was deployed to serve in the Iraq War and Afghanistan. Eventually, he retired from the military with the rank of colonel. Decorations he was awarded include the Bronze Star Medal.
