Key South Carolina figures including Sen. Lindsey Graham’s colleague in the state’s Senate delegation, Sen. Tim Scott, quickly endorsed President Donald Trump’s recommendation of the late senator’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to fill his seat on Monday.
Graham’s sudden death late Saturday evening shocked Washington, D.C., and immediately kicked off a process of finding his replacement back home, where Gov. Henry McMaster is in charge of the selection. His quick action will be strongly desired by the White House and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who holds a thin consistent majority in the chamber.
On Monday morning Trump wrote that he’d recommended McMaster appoint Graham Nordone to the seat. Whoever is appointed to the job will serve in it until January of 2027, when the victor of the November Senate race will take the seat. Graham was up for re-election this year; Democrat Annie Andrews won her party’s primary to face him.
“This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”, the president wrote on his social media platform.
Scott re-tweeted the message, replying that Graham Nordone “would be a fantastic pick to serve out the remainder of the senate term.”
“After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country,” Scott added. Townhall.com reported that Scott had spoken with Graham Nordone multiple times over the past 24 hours.
The president’s calls were echoed by other members of the South Carolina congressional delegation as well, including by at least one person who has already publicly indicated she may end up running for the seat — Rep. Nancy Mace. She was joined by Rep. Russell Fry as well as another important backer, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who told CNN’s Dana Bash on Monday that Darline Graham Nordone’s appointment “makes a lot of sense.”
Nine years Graham’s junior, Darline Graham Nordone was raised by her brother after their parents’ deaths. She currently serves as director of public information at the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department. In an interview with The New York Times in 2015, amid his presidential run, she described him as both parents rolled into one: “Lindsey was always my parent. There was no doubt in my mind or anyone else’s mind that Lindsey was my guardian.”
Graham also spoke about his sister in an interview the same year, explaining: “Of all the things that have happened in my life, her turning out so well is the highlight of it.”
Other members of the South Carolina congressional delegation haven’t spoken up yet about Graham’s replacement. Reached for comment, Graham Nordone refused to comment on the speculation herself, telling the New York Post that she was “devastated” over her brother’s death.
Graham’s death came just after his return from Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and sought to rally further U.S. support for the Ukrainian cause. One of Ukraine’s strongest backers in the Senate, Zelensky was among the many who publicly mourned Graham on Sunday after news of his death was made public.
Donald Trump spoke to CNN and NBC’s Sunday politics talk shows this week, filling in an interview slot on NBC’s Meet the Press where Graham had been scheduled to appear. He talked about Graham’s legacy and his own clash with the senator during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, but gave no hint at the time as to who he was considering to take over his late friend’s Senate seat.
McMaster mentioned Darline by name in his statement honoring Graham on Sunday, but the governor has not yet commented on the selection process.
