Lindsey Graham’s Sister Appointed to Fill His Senate Seat

Key Facts

Published: July 13, 2026 Location: Columbia, S.C. Source: Associated Press , CBS News

• Darline Graham Nordone will complete her late brother’s Senate term through January.
• Her appointment makes her the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

Darline Graham Nordone will become the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the younger sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, to complete the remaining months of her brother’s Senate term.

Nordone is expected to be sworn in Wednesday and will serve until the current term expires in January. Her appointment will make her the first woman in South Carolina history to serve in the U.S. Senate.

“Lindsey has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him,” Nordone said during an emotional announcement at the South Carolina Statehouse.

President Donald Trump publicly recommended Nordone for the appointment, calling the selection a fitting tribute to Graham, who died Saturday at age 71 following an aortic dissection. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune also supported her appointment.

The appointment carries profound family significance. Graham became his sister’s legal guardian when she was 13 after their parents died within 15 months of each other. Nordone later credited her brother with sacrificing much of his young adulthood to raise and support her.

Nordone, who has never held elected office, has spent much of her career helping people with disabilities. She will now enter the Senate as South Carolina Republicans prepare for an Aug. 11 special primary to select a nominee for the Nov. 3 general election.

Democratic nominee Annie Andrews will face the eventual Republican nominee for a full six-year Senate term. Several Republicans have expressed interest in the race, including Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman and former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.

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