South Carolina Governor Selects Darline Graham Nordone for Senate Seat
Sandego.net – South Carolina governor selects Darline Graham Nordone to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy created by the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham. Governor Henry McMaster announced the appointment on Monday, choosing Nordone to serve until a special primary election can be held. The decision follows President Donald Trump’s public endorsement of the selection through his Truth Social platform.
“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!”
Under South Carolina law, the governor has the power to appoint a temporary successor to an empty Senate seat. Because Graham was expected to run for reelection this year, his passing triggers an accelerated primary process. The winner of that special election will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election.
Political Backing for the Appointment
McMaster discussed his choice during a Monday afternoon press conference. Senate Majority Leader John Thune had spoken with both Nordone and the governor on Sunday before making his own comments. Thune expressed support for the potential selection, noting it would honor Graham’s legacy.
“I’ll let the governor make an announcement about that, but that certainly in my view makes a lot of sense,” Thune said. “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 it.”
The connection between McMaster and Trump goes back several years. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump mentioned that he had nominated former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as his United Nations ambassador during his first term. That move was intended to help elevate McMaster, who was serving as lieutenant governor at the time.
A Deep Family Connection
Graham and Nordone shared a close bond throughout their lives. In a 2015 CNN interview, Nordone spoke about their childhood after her brother announced his 2016 presidential bid. She remembered how Graham helped care for her even while their parents worked long hours running their family’s small business.
“Even when my parents were alive, they worked really long, hard hours running a small business. So even then, he was a caregiver to me,” she said.
The siblings grew up in a single room behind the Sanitary Cafe in Central, South Carolina. The establishment served as a bar, pool hall, and liquor store run by their parents. After their parents died within fifteen months of each other, Nordone became an orphan at thirteen in 1976. Graham, the first in his family to attend college and a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, took on legal guardianship of his younger sister.
“I knew he was doing what he could to take care of me, and it was best for us,” Nordone told CNN in 2015. “She said being adopted by her brother ‘was a little odd’ at first, but she came to understand ‘it makes perfect sense.'”
This arrangement allowed Nordone to receive military benefits through her brother’s service. When the Daily Mail Online asked the unmarried Graham who would serve as first lady, he joked that his sister could fill that role if needed.
What Comes Next
McMaster cannot seek reelection this year due to term limits. Trump has previously mentioned McMaster’s son, Henry McMaster Jr., as a possible lieutenant governor candidate. McMaster Jr. declined, saying on social media that “now is simply not the right time for me to be considered” for the position. Current lieutenant governor Pamela Evette lost a primary runoff to Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Trump later endorsed both Evette and Wilson in the gubernatorial race. According to a source, Evette has received questions about running for Graham’s Senate seat. Other potential candidates for the special primary include Representatives Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman.
