Video: Senator-designate Darling Graham Nordone speaks
Darling Graham Nordone spoke after being appointed by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster to fill his brother Lindsey Graham’s U.S. Senate seat.
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darling Graham Nordone, has been appointed to serve out the remaining term of the late Republican.
“Lindsay has always been there for me and I will always be there for him,” Graham Nordone said at a press conference on July 13, making his first public comments since his brother’s death, describing him as an outstanding leader. “It is a great honor to finish some of his important work. I am committed to working hard over the next few months to support the president and continue my brother’s efforts on behalf of the people of South Carolina and the United States.”
Graham Nordin became the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate after her 71-year-old brother died suddenly on July 11 from what was previously determined to be a ruptured aorta caused by atherosclerosis.
In announcing the appointment, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said he called Graham Nordone on July 12 to make the request, which she tearfully accepted.
“I was humbled by how quickly you understood the duties you had to fulfill,” McMaster said. “Then I called the president (Donald Trump) and he thought this was a great idea. I’m sure everyone here agrees.”
Graham Nordon has no political experience. Her current job is to help people with disabilities find jobs.
But with the support of her brother’s staff and colleagues, she said she’s confident she can get the job done.
“What Lindsey wanted”
“I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted and this is how I will honor him,” Graham Nordone said, acknowledging his brother’s accomplishments. “Okay, Lindsey, I’ve missed you more than words can express, but I’m going to do this. I understand.”
It is unclear whether Graham Nordon will run for his brother’s seat. Graham defeated multiple challengers, including wealthy businessman Mark Lynch, in South Carolina’s Republican primary last month and was seeking a fifth term in the Senate in this year’s midterm elections.
Under South Carolina law, candidates wishing to run for Graham’s seat have one week starting July 21 to apply for a special primary election to be held on August 11.
McMaster’s Graham Nordone’s announcement came hours after Trump made the recommendation in a post on Truth Social.
“I have recommended to Governor Henry McMaster that Ms. Darling, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, serve as U.S. Senator pro tempore from South Carolina,” Trump tweeted. “This would be a wonderful tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also supported the choice, telling CNN it “makes a lot of sense.”
Graham was never married and had no children, but he often mentioned his close bond with his sister.
Lindsey Graham raised his sister Darling Graham Nordon
During Mr. Graham’s 2016 presidential campaign, his sister told The New York Times how the four-term senator taught her how to ride a bike.
The brothers bonded over the loss of their parents at an early age. Graham’s mother, Millie, died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1976, when Graham was 20 and his sister 11, the Times reported. Her father, Florence James Graham, died of a heart attack 15 months later.
“Lindsay has always been my parent,” Nordon told the Times. “There was never any doubt in my mind or anyone else’s that Lindsay was my protector.”
“He was a young man who took in girls and teenagers and raised them,” Nordon said. “He devoted all of that time to raising me, going to school, trying to get an education. There are only so many hours in a day.”
Nordon also told the Times that Graham was “a brother, father and mother rolled into one.”
South Carolina Republican Party holds special primary election
Graham defeated five primary challengers in June and was expected to face Democratic candidate Annie Andrews. Andrews, a pediatrician, previously defeated Republican Rep. Nancy Mace in the 2022 general election.
The South Carolina Republican Party will have to hold a special primary to replace Mr. Graham.
Several names have been mentioned as potential candidates, including Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evett, who ran unsuccessfully for governor earlier this year, Lieutenant Governor Mace, and Congressman Russell Frey, who represents South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District. Former Congressman Trey Gowdy and current Congressman William Timmons are also mentioned.
The special primary election will be held on August 11th.
