Darline Graham Nordone was sworn in Tuesday to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), in the US Senate.
Nordone, who was appointed by South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster just days after Graham’s sudden death, took the oath of office during a swearing-in ceremony presided over by Vice President JD Vance.
The 62-year-old wife, mother of two, and grandmother will serve out the remaining six months of her late brother’s term. She becomes the first woman to represent South Carolina in the US Senate.
“It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work, and I promise to work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States,” Nordone said at a press conference Monday.
While she has never held elected public office, Nardone has “dedicated her career to public service,” McMaster’s office said in a statement.
Since 2019, Nardone has served as Commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind [SCCB], where she “has worked to expand opportunities for South Carolinians who are blind or have low vision to achieve employment and independence,” according to the governor’s office.
A state database of public employees confirms Nardone was the “agency head” of the commission and earned a salary of $138,000 – a bit less than the $174,000 per year she’ll make as a US senator.
Prior to her appointment as commissioner, Nardone held roles with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation for nearly 30 years, according to the governor’s office.
“In addition to her full-time role as SCCB Commissioner, Ms. Graham currently serves on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and is president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind,” the statement continued.
Nardone has a bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston, a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and she is a Certified Public Manager.
President Trump and several South Carolina GOP lawmakers had backed Nardone to take up her brother’s mantle prior to McMaster’s announcement Monday.
“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 on Truth Social. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”
Congress has a long history of family members stepping up under tragic circumstances to succeed their loved ones in office.
There have been eight cases of widows replacing their husbands in the Senate and 39 instances in the House, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
The most recent example in the Senate came in 2001, when Jean Carnahan was appointed after her husband, Mel, was posthumously elected three weeks after he died in a plane crash. Carnahan served until a special election was held the following year.
Nordone will serve until Jan. 3, 2027, when the new Congress convenes following the November midterm elections.
The South Carolina Republican Party will hold a special primary election on Aug. 11 to replace Graham on the November ballot.
Graham, who never married or had children, died suddenly Saturday evening after suffering a tear in the aorta. He was 71 years old.
Preliminary findings from the Washington, DC, medical examiner’s office determined that the ruptured aorta was brought on by chronic heart disease.
