The sister of late US Senator Lindsey Graham has been named as his interim replacement following the South Carolina lawmaker’s death from an aortic tear on Saturday.
Darline Graham Nordone was officially appointed on Monday by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, who introduced her as Graham’s “darling little sister” and said she would “finish his work for him now.”
“It is such an honour. Lindsey has always been there for me and now I will be there for him,” Nordone said.
The appointment followed calls from senior officials, including President Donald Trump, who urged that Nordone succeed her late brother as a “tribute” to the senator, who never married and had no children.
Graham shared a close bond with his sister, whom he legally adopted after both of their parents died when they were children.
Governor Henry McMaster said Nordone would complete the remainder of Graham’s Senate term, which expires in 2027.
“Lindsey took care of his little sister,” McMaster said. “It’s my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to finish his work for him now.”
Nordone said she believed “this is what Lindsey would have wanted and I plan to honour him in this way”.
Lindsey Graham died over the weekend at the age of 71 after suffering an aortic dissection linked to cardiovascular disease, according to preliminary findings from the Washington, DC, medical examiner.
Before his death, Graham had secured the Republican Party’s nomination for the November Senate election as he sought another term. Since his passing, several Republican figures have already declared their intention to contest the seat.
Graham and his sister were orphaned at a young age after their mother and father died just 15 months apart.
At the time, Graham was 22, while his sister was 13. She initially lived with other relatives, but remained closely connected to Graham as he pursued a law degree and later served in the US Air Force.
In a 2015 interview, Nordone, a mother of two who helps people with disabilities secure employment, described Graham’s role in her life, saying: “He’s kind of like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one.”
Graham later legally adopted his sister, explaining that the decision would allow her to receive his military benefits if anything happened to him.
She remained a constant presence throughout his political career. At one point, Graham even joked that she would serve as his first lady if he were ever elected president.
Nordone has never held elected office before. Neither she nor Governor McMaster indicated whether she intends to contest the Senate seat for a full six-year term or simply complete the remainder of Graham’s tenure, which ends in January 2027.
First elected to the US Senate in 2002, Graham became one of Washington’s most prominent voices on foreign policy, frequently advocating for American military involvement abroad.
He had recently returned from Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, and spoke with President Donald Trump the evening before his death.
At the time of Graham’s death, Republicans controlled the Senate with a 53–47 advantage over Democrats, as both parties geared up for a crucial contest for control of the chamber in the November elections.
His spokesperson also said the official death certificate would not be released until “all the toxicological and microscopic testing” had been concluded.
It is not unusual in US politics for relatives to take over the seats of deceased lawmakers. According to the US House of Representatives, as of 2025, 45 widows have directly succeeded their late husbands in Congress, including 38 in the House of Representatives and eight in the Senate.
