Darline Graham Nordone Appointed as Temporary Senator
The sister of US Senator Lindsey Graham has been appointed as his temporary replacement following the senator's death due to an aortic tear on Saturday. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster formally selected Darline Graham Nordone on Monday, introducing her as Graham's "darling little sister" who would "finish his work for him now."
"It is such an honour. Lindsey has always been there for me and now I will be there for him," Nordone said.
The announcement followed calls from officials, including President Donald Trump, urging Nordone to serve as a tribute to the late senator, who was unmarried and had no children. Graham shared a close bond with his sister, whom he legally adopted after their parents passed away during their youth.
Governor McMaster stated that Nordone would serve out the remainder of Graham's Senate term, which is scheduled to end in 2027.
"Lindsey took care of his little sister," McMaster said. "It's my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to finish his work for him now."
Nordone expressed her commitment to honoring her brother's legacy.
"I believe this is what Lindsey would have wanted and I plan to honour him in this way," she said.
Graham died over the weekend from an "aortic dissection" caused by cardiovascular disease, according to preliminary findings by the Washington DC medical examiner. He was 71 years old.
At the time of his death, Graham was running for re-election in November and held the Republican Party's nomination. Several Republican candidates have already announced their intention to run for his Senate seat.
Who is Darline Graham Nordone?
Lindsey Graham and his sister lost their parents at a young age, with their mother and father passing within 15 months of each other. Graham was 22 years old, and Nordone was 13 at the time. She lived with family members but maintained a close relationship with Graham as he pursued law studies and served in the Air Force.
Nordone described her brother as a multifaceted figure in her life.
"He's kind of like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one," Nordone, a mother of two who works assisting people with disabilities in finding employment, told the New York Times in 2015.
Graham later legally adopted Nordone to ensure she would receive his military benefits if anything were to happen to him. She has been a constant presence throughout his political career. Graham had even suggested that she would serve as his first lady if he were elected president.
Nordone has never held public office before. Neither she nor Governor McMaster has indicated whether she will campaign for the full six-year Senate term or serve only temporarily until January 2027.
Lindsey Graham’s Political Career and Legacy
Elected to the Senate in 2002, Lindsey Graham was a prominent voice in Washington on foreign policy, frequently advocating for US military intervention abroad. He had recently returned from a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, and spoke with President Trump the night before his death.
Before Graham's passing, Republicans held a 53-47 majority over Democrats in the Senate. Both parties are actively contesting Senate control in the upcoming November elections.
Graham's spokesperson noted that the death certificate would remain pending until "all the toxicological and microscopic testing" is completed.
There is a longstanding tradition of family members succeeding lawmakers who die in office. According to the US House of Representatives in 2025, 45 widowed women have directly succeeded their late husbands in Congress—38 in the House and eight in the Senate.
