Darline Graham sworn into the Senate days after Lindsey Graham's sudden death

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 15, 2026 00:30 IST

Darline Graham was sworn in by the US Senate on Tuesday afternoon, three days after the death of her brother, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed her on Monday to serve the remaining months of his current term.

Darline Graham, who will become the state’s first woman senator, has not previously held public office. Her appointment comes ahead of a separate special election next month to pick a new Republican nominee for the general election for Lindsey Graham’s seat, which he had been seeking to retain for a fifth term this year.

Lindsey Graham, 71, died unexpectedly on Saturday in Washington. A preliminary report from the medical examiner said he suffered a tear in his aorta, known as an aortic dissection. One of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in the Senate, he was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was set to become the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress.

Darline Graham has worked as an optician and at several state agencies, including the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and the Department of Employment and Workforce. She is married to Larry Nordone, but will be known in the Senate as Darline Graham, her legal name. On Monday, she said her older brother, who raised her after their parents died, had always been there for her. “And now, I will be there for him,” she said.

Before the swearing-in on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he knows Darline Graham “will carry on Lindsey’s tireless service to South Carolina”. Lindsey Graham, who was not married and did not have children, was exceptionally close to his sister. He became her legal guardian after their parents died, when he was 22 and she was 13. She often appeared at his campaign events, supported him in speeches and campaign advertisements, and stood with him earlier this year when he filed his re-election paperwork along with her children and grandchildren.

As McMaster announced her appointment, Darline Graham said, “To Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words. But I’m going to do this. I got it.” McMaster said the two had spoken “in the wee hours of Sunday morning” after Lindsey Graham’s death, and that he had asked her to serve. “I had wondered what you would say, and I was humbled by your quickness to see the duty that you had to serve,” he said. McMaster added that Trump “thought it was a great idea” when he was later told about the choice. Trump announced his support for Graham to fill the seat earlier on Monday.

Under South Carolina law, a one-week filing period for a special primary election will begin on July 21, the second Tuesday after the candidate’s death. The special primary will be held on August 11, with any required runoff on August 25. The new nominee would then have just over two months to campaign for the general election on November 3. Several Republicans are seen as possible contenders, including Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette and Representatives Russell Fry, Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman.

Darline Graham has now taken over the Senate seat for the rest of her brother’s term, while South Carolina prepares for a special primary in August and the general election in November.

With PTI Inputs

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