San Antonio’s relationship with the late began during a visit he made in 2010. At that time, I thanked him for his willingness to speak openly about the need for immigration reform.

His response has stayed with me ever since.

He said it was easy for Texans to support immigration reform because it is part of our border state culture – but he then added that his state, South Carolina, is home to the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, making it riskier there to publicly support Immigration Reform.

But he was committed to reform, because it was the right thing to do.

Whether people agreed with Graham, who died at the age of 71, there was no questioning his sincerity. 

Before leaving San Antonio, he asked if he could return to continue the conversation. We were honored to invite him back.
 

In January 2011, during my year as chairman of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we welcomed Graham for a public conversation at Pearl Stable. More than 300 business and community leaders filled the room. The discussion was thoughtful, substantive and focused on finding practical solutions for the country.

As the event closed, Graham said:

“I am not going to create a bill to help my party with Hispanics. I’m going to create a bill to help America.”

He saw immigration reform as a way to address declining birth rates, meet labor needs and boost our economy.

After that, whenever our local chambers of commerce led the annual so-called SA to DC trip, Graham met with us to discuss immigration – as well as economic and policy issues important to San Antonio’s business community.

He respected our willingness to engage in difficult conversations and appreciated our belief that lasting solutions require secure borders and workable legal pathways.
 

One memory, in particular, speaks volumes about the kind of person he was.

One Saturday afternoon my phone rang, and the caller ID simply read “Private Caller.”

I answered, and to my surprise it was Graham. He was preparing to appear the next morning on CBS’ “Face the Nation” to discuss immigration.

He wanted to share what he intended to say, and asked if I thought his message was the right one. He hardly needed my advice.

He understood the issue as well as anyone in Washington – yet he took the time to call because he valued hearing from people outside the Beltway who were living these issues. 

Over the years, the country watched Graham evolve. Many Americans remember the Lindsey Graham who often challenged Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Later, they saw a very different Lindsey Graham emerge as one of Trump’s closest allies.

While people reached their own conclusions about that transformation, for those of us who knew him, one thing never changed: He remained accessible, thoughtful and willing to engage in honest conversation, even with those who didn’t share his views.
 

We didn’t agree on every issue or every political decision, but our relationship was never built on political agreement. It was built on mutual respect, and we always knew we could pick up the phone and have an honest discussion. 

Today, years later, many of the challenges we discussed remain unresolved. That reality makes me appreciate even more those leaders who are willing to engage, listen and search for common ground.

Graham never forgot the importance of showing up, making time, listening carefully, and treating our business community with respect.

He formed a genuine bond with many of us in San Antonio, and we are grateful for the friendship he extended over so many years.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about gratitude.  

So, thank you, Sen. Graham, for your accessibility, kindness and willingness to engage with our community.

Those of us who had the privilege of knowing you will always remember the man behind the title.

Eddie Aldrete is a public affairs consultant and podcast host in San Antonio, Texas, and serves on the Texas Advisory Board of Common Ground USA. In 2011, he was board chair for the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.