What to know about Darline Graham Nordone, South Carolina’s newest senator

Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) appointed Darline Graham Nordone on Monday to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the unexpected death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, to complete the remainder of his term.

A special Republican primary next month will determine which GOP candidate advances to the November general election to face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews.

Nordone has long been a fixture in her brother’s political career, standing alongside him at campaign events, speeches, and even in television advertisements. But their relationship extended beyond politics.

After their mother died of Hodgkin lymphoma in 1976, the siblings faced another tragedy 15 months later when their father died of a heart attack. Nordone, then 13, discovered his body. Graham, just 22 years old and beginning law school at the University of South Carolina, became his younger sister’s legal guardian.

Rather than pursuing his own ambitions, Graham said his top priority became raising his sister.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), right, hugs his sister Darline Graham Nordone, after announcing his bid for presidency on Monday, June 1, 2015, in Central, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)

“I can remember the day my father passed away, standing in the living room of that house, absolutely scared to death,” Nordone told NPR in 2015. “Lindsey wrapped his arms around me and promised me he would always be there for me and always take care of me.”

After their father’s death, Nordone moved in with relatives in nearby Seneca while Graham assumed legal responsibility for her care prior to joining the Air Force.

Graham, who never married or had children, often described his sister as his greatest accomplishment.

Speaking to C-SPAN in 2015, he said her success “is the highlight of it, by far.” During his 2016 presidential campaign, he joked that Nordone could be among a “rotating” cast of White House hosts serving in the role traditionally filled by a first lady.

Outside politics, Nordone built a decades-long career in public service. In 2019, she was appointed commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, which provides vocational training and other services to residents who are blind or have low vision. Since January 2026, she has also served as president of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.

Hours before McMaster announced the appointment, President Donald Trump urged the governor to select Nordone, calling her appointment “a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) also endorsed the selection before it was announced.

“After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country,” Scott posted on X. After the appointment, he called it “an incredible way to honor the legacy” of Graham and said he looked forward to working with her “to continue Senator Graham’s commitment to keeping Americans safe and secure.”

Graham, first elected to the Senate in 2002, became one of Washington’s most influential voices on foreign policy, frequently advocating U.S. military engagement overseas. He was also one of Trump’s closest allies in the upper chamber. Before his death, Republicans held a 53-47 Senate majority, making the race to permanently fill his seat part of the broader battle for control of the chamber in November.

LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER TO BE SWORN IN TO THE SENATE ON TUESDAY

Nordone’s appointment also follows a long tradition of relatives temporarily succeeding deceased members of Congress. According to the House of Representatives, 45 widows have directly succeeded their late husbands in Congress, including 38 in the House and eight in the Senate. While sibling appointments are far less common, governors have periodically turned to close family members to fill vacancies until voters choose a permanent replacement.

Nordone is married, lives in Lexington, South Carolina, and has two daughters. She will be the Palmetto State’s first female senator.

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