Darline Graham Nordone, the younger sister of late US Senator Lindsey Graham, has been appointed to temporarily fill his Senate seat following his sudden death over the weekend.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced the appointment on Monday, introducing Nordone as Graham’s “little sister” and saying she would continue the work of the longtime senator.
“It is such an honour. Lindsey has always been there for me and now I will be there for him,” Nordone said during the announcement.
The appointment comes just days after Graham died at the age of 71 from an aortic tear, medically known as an aortic dissection, according to preliminary findings by the Washington DC medical examiner. His death shocked Washington and prompted tributes from political leaders across the United States and around the world.
President Donald Trump and several senior Republican figures had publicly supported the idea of appointing Nordone as a way of honouring the senator’s legacy.
Governor McMaster said the decision was fitting given the close relationship between the siblings.
“Lindsey took care of his little sister. It’s my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to finish his work for him now,” he said.
Nordone will serve out the remainder of Graham’s term, which ends in 2027.
The bond between the two siblings was particularly strong because of the tragedies they endured early in life. Graham was only 22 years old when both of their parents died within 15 months of each other. At the time, Nordone was just 13.
Although she initially lived with relatives, the pair remained extremely close. Graham later legally adopted his younger sister to ensure she would receive his military benefits if anything happened to him.
In a 2015 interview with The New York Times, Nordone described her brother as being “like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one.”
Throughout his political career, she remained by his side and often accompanied him at important events. Graham had previously joked that if he ever became president, his sister would serve as his first lady.
Unlike her brother, Nordone has largely stayed out of politics. She is a mother of two and works helping people with disabilities find employment opportunities.
Her appointment comes at a significant moment for South Carolina politics. Graham had already secured the Republican nomination and was preparing to run for re-election in November before his death.
Several Republican candidates have since announced plans to contest the Senate seat in the upcoming election.
For now, however, Darline Graham Nordone will carry on her brother’s duties in Washington, saying she intends to honour his memory and continue the work he dedicated his life to.
Her appointment marks a deeply personal and emotional chapter in South Carolina’s political history, as a sister steps forward to continue the legacy of one of America’s most influential conservative lawmakers.
