Darline Graham to fill Lindsey Graham's Senate seat after sudden death

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 14, 2026 23:32 IST

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

A separate special election will be held next month to choose a new Republican nominee for the general election for the seat, which Lindsey Graham had been seeking to retain for a fifth term this year. Darline Graham will become South Carolina's first female senator. She has not previously held public office.

Darline Graham has worked as an optician and at various 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.

Speaking 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.

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.

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 was 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. He added that Trump "thought it was a great idea" when he later told him of his 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 begins on the second Tuesday after a candidate's death, or July 21. The special primary would then be held on the second Tuesday after the filing period closes, or August 11. Any required run-off would follow two weeks later, 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 Republican Representatives Russell Fry, Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman. Darline Graham's swearing-in will now fill the Senate seat until the election process to choose Lindsey Graham's successor is completed.

With PTI Inputs

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