South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham Nordone on Monday to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the death of her brother, Lindsey Graham, setting up a special Republican primary next month to choose a nominee for a full six-year term.
Graham, 71, died Saturday from an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to preliminary findings from the District of Columbia medical examiner released by his office. He had been seeking re-election in November and had already won the Republican Party’s nomination last month. His death created an immediate vacancy in a chamber where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, making the interim appointment critical for GOP leaders in both the Senate and the White House.
Nordone will serve through January 3. She has never held public office. She leads the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. Nordone is expected to be sworn into the Senate on Wednesday, according to Fox News and MS NOW.
The appointment came hours after President Donald Trump publicly recommended her for the role in a post on Truth Social on Monday morning. “I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina,” Trump wrote. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina also endorsed the choice, appearing alongside Nordone at the press conference at the South Carolina statehouse where McMaster made the announcement. Scott wrote on X that there was “no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country.”
A bond forged in loss
The Graham siblings lost both parents within 15 months of each other. Lindsey was 22. Darline was 13. He became her guardian and later adopted her so she could receive his military benefits from his service as a lawyer in the Air Force. “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.” She lived with family members, maintaining a close relationship with Graham as he studied law and served in the Air Force.
McMaster introduced her as Graham’s “darling little sister” who would “finish his work for him now,” calling the late senator “irresistible” and “irreplaceable.” Nordone said she believed the appointment was what her brother would have wanted. “It is such a privilege to finish some of his important work,” she said at the press conference. “I promise to work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States.” She described her brother as someone who “dedicated his life to this country.”
A crowded field takes shape
Republicans will hold a special primary on August 11 to select a nominee for the full term beginning next year. The winner will face Democratic pediatrician Annie Andrews in November’s general election. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter has labeled the race “Solid R.”
Several South Carolina Republicans have signaled interest in running. Representatives Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, both of whom launched failed gubernatorial bids earlier this year, have said they could run. Representative William Timmons did not rule out a try in a post on X on Sunday. Representatives Russell Fry and Joe Wilson have also been floated as potential candidates. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, who earned Trump’s endorsement in her own failed bid for governor, could enter the race. McMaster himself, who is termed out as governor at the end of this year, has also been floated as a potential long-term replacement.
Graham was an influential figure in the Senate for more than two decades, elected in 2002, and was one of Washington’s most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas. He was a staunch supporter of Israel. He had just returned from a trip to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, and had spoken with Trump the night before his death. He chaired the budget committee, which would be responsible for setting up the process for a third party-line budget reconciliation bill, and served on the judiciary committee, which is now weighing Trump’s nomination for attorney general, Todd Blanche. His death could complicate GOP priorities in the Senate.
Nordone did not indicate whether she will run for the full term. Neither she nor the governor addressed that question at Monday’s announcement. There is a long tradition of family members replacing lawmakers when they die. According to the US House of Representatives, 45 widowed women have directly succeeded their late husbands in Congress.