Lindsey Graham’s sister appointed to Senate as GOP rushes to protect fragile majority

Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was appointed to fill her brother’s Senate seat after a push from President Donald Trump.

"It's my honor to ask his little sister, Darlene Graham, to finish his work for him now," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said at a ceremony on Monday afternoon.

McMaster, a close Trump ally, appointed Nordone nearly 48 hours after her brother and longtime lawmaker suddenly died from an aortic dissection.

McMaster’s pick comes after Trump pushed for Graham’s "wonderful sister" Nordone to get the job.

"This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly," Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social on Monday morning.

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Others were also initially considered, including Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, who Trump endorsed in her failed bid to clinch the GOP nomination for governor, former Rep. Trey Gowdy and former Sen. Jim DeMint, sources told Fox News Digital.

Her appointment fills the seat through Jan. 3, while voters decide in November who will hold the seat for the next six-year term. 

At this point, it's unclear if Nordone, 62, would consider running for a full six-year term, and there's already private jockeying to run in the special election, set for Aug. 11, to secure the GOP nomination in the Palmetto State, with Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., both eyeing a bid. 

Graham’s death narrowed Republicans’ Senate majority and added pressure to keep every GOP vote available, especially with Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., still being treated after a fall and pneumonia.

Nordone, who has largely kept out of the public eye, is married to Larry Nordone and has two daughters. She has worked with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind (SCCB) as commissioner, according to the organization's 2026-27 budget. The SCCB provides services aimed at helping blind and low-vision South Carolina residents gain employment, independence and self-sufficiency.

In the past, she has described a personal closeness with Lindsey Graham, having been raised by him after the death of their mother when she was just 11. 

"I have always looked up to Lindsey. He's just always been there for me as long as I can remember. If I fell down and scraped my knee, Lindsey was the one I ran to," she recounted in a 2014 campaign ad.

Nordone has not previously held elected office. She will become South Carolina's first female senator.

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Following Trump’s endorsement, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), also put his support behind Nordone on Monday morning ahead of the announcement. 

"Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, would be a fantastic pick to serve out the remainder of the Senate term," Scott wrote in a post to X.

"After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state and our country."

McMaster also described speaking with Darline ahead of her appointment as well as with Trump.

"After we spoke on the phone in the wee hours of Sunday morning and you agreed to serve through tears, I had wondered what you would say and I was humbled by your quickness to see the duty that you had to serve. And I called the president afterwards, and he thought it was a great idea," McMaster said. 

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., also voiced his support for Nordone. 

He told CNN Monday afternoon that he had already spoken with both Nordone and McMaster the day before, and believed that tapping the longtime lawmaker's sister to fill his spot, "in my view, makes a lot of sense."

"I think, in many respects, it would be a way of extending Lindsey’s legacy here, and certainly something that, if that’s what they decide to end up doing, I think there’d be a lot of support for," Thune said. 

The filing period for a special primary election begins on July 21, with the special election to follow on Aug. 11. A runoff, if needed, would be held Aug. 25, leaving the candidate just two months to campaign before the Nov. 3 general election.