Late Senator Lindsey Graham's Sister Appointed to Fill His Seat

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has appointed Darlene Graham Nordone, the sister of the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, to fill the vacant Senate seat. Nordone, 58, will serve the remainder of her brother's term, which concludes in 2027.

McMaster announced the appointment, calling Nordone Graham's "beloved sister" who would now "finish his work for him." The governor has the authority to appoint a successor for a U.S. senator's unexpired term. President Donald Trump and other allies had reportedly requested that Nordone be appointed as a tribute to the senator, who was unmarried and had no children.

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She will now finish his work for him.

The siblings shared a profound bond, having lost both parents within 15 months during their childhood. Lindsey Graham, then 22, cared for his younger sister, then 13. Nordone once described her brother to The New York Times as being like "a brother, father, and mother all rolled into one." Graham had legally adopted Nordone to ensure she could receive his military pension benefits if anything happened to him.

Nordone, who has no prior public office experience, works to help people with disabilities find employment and has two children. She has not stated whether she will run for election after January 2027. This appointment marks an unusual instance of a sibling succeeding a senator, with most such cases involving a deceased senator's spouse.

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He was like a brother, father, and mother all rolled into one.