Lindsey Graham's Sister Appointed to His Senate Seat on Trump's Recommendation
On Monday, July 13, 2026, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham Nordone — the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's sister — to fill his Senate seat, after President Trump publicly recommended her for the post. Nordone, who had held no prior elected office, was sworn in by Senate Majority Leader John Thune the following afternoon and will serve until at least January 3, 2027, when the new Congress convenes. A special Republican primary was set for August 11 to choose a nominee for the November ballot. The appointment preserved a narrow Senate Republican majority. It was initially presented as a placeholder arrangement, and drew criticism as nepotism from across the spectrum — sharpening considerably when Nordone later said she would seek a full term, with Trump's endorsement, after South Carolina Republicans had been promised an open primary with no incumbent.
“The past few weeks have been an unbelievably challenging time for our family, but you know what? We did it. South Carolina is truly Trump country. Now, the critics say I shouldn't run for the Senate. They say I'm not a politician. You know what I say? Guilty as charged.”