Lindsey Graham’s death rocks Senate
The sudden death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has rattled Capitol Hill, leaving Congress without one of Trump’s most effective liaisons.
In less than 48 hours, Darling Graham Nordone went from a career helping people with disabilities find jobs to becoming the first woman elected to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.
On July 13, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Senator Graham Nordon to serve the remainder of his term following the sudden death of longtime Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on July 11.
Speaking at the state Capitol after taking office, Graham Nordone suggested he would continue the work of his brother, who raised him after losing his parents when he was young. These were her first public comments since Graham’s death.
“Lindsay has always been there for me, and I’ll be there for him,” she said, calling Lindsay an outstanding leader who worked harder than anyone to better the state, country and world.
Graham Nordone is scheduled to be sworn in at the Capitol on July 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET, a congressional aide told USA TODAY. He is expected to hold the position until January 3, 2027, when the winner of the November election is scheduled to take office.
Here’s what you need to know about South Carolina’s first female senator.
A life shaped by family tragedy
Much of Graham Nordon’s life story is intertwined with that of her older brother. The brothers grew up in the small town of Central, South Carolina, where their parents owned a pool hall and restaurant.
Their childhood changed dramatically when their mother died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1976. Fifteen months later, her father died of a heart attack, leaving Lindsey Graham, then a college student, to care for her sister.
Graham Nordon was 13 years old when his father died, according to the Post and Courier. In interviews over the years, she talked about how scared she felt after losing her parents and how her brother took on the role of caregiver. Graham became his sister’s legal guardian and provided her with insurance and other benefits before joining the U.S. Air Force as a military lawyer.
“I remember the day my father died, standing there in the living room scared to death, and Lindsey put her arm around me and promised me that she would always be there to care for me,” Graham Nordone told NPR in 2015.
Their bond remained a defining feature of Graham’s public life. In a 2015 interview with The New York Times, Graham Nordon described his younger brother as “a brother, father and mother rolled into one.”
Careers in Disability Services
Although the brothers are close, they followed different career paths. Graham Nordone spent most of his money on disability services and workforce development, not electoral politics.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the College of Charleston, a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and is certified as a public administrator, according to a biography provided to The Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network.
For nearly seven years, she served on the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, focused on helping blind and visually impaired people achieve employment, independence and economic self-sufficiency, the biography said.
Graham Nordone began his career as a certified optician, working directly with people addressing their eye care needs, before moving to state government. He then held positions at Clemson University and the state employment department before joining the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Graham Nordon spent 12 years at the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, where he served as director of business services and director of communications, according to his biography. She currently serves on the South Carolina Workforce Development Commission and is president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.
Graham Nordon lives in Lexington, South Carolina with her husband, Larry Nordon. The couple has two daughters and a grandson, according to a biography obtained by The Greenville News.
Behind Lindsey Graham’s campaign
Although she never ran for public office, Graham Nordone was close to her brother at key points in his political career, often sharing personal stories about how he raised her after the death of her parents and the close bond the siblings maintained throughout their lives.
In 2014, when Graham was seeking a third term in the Senate, Graham Nordin appeared in a campaign ad in which he said his brother promised he would take care of their parents after they died.
During Graham’s 2016 presidential campaign, Graham Nordon was a prominent presence at campaign events, sharing stories about the brothers’ upbringing and their close relationship. Graham, who has never married or had children, once joked in a 2015 interview with the Daily Mail that her sister might fill the role of first lady if she were elected president.
“I have a sister, and she can fill that role if needed,” Graham said, adding, “I have a lot of friends. We’ll have rotating first ladies.”
Now, Graham Nordon is contributing to Graham’s legacy in a very different way.
“It’s a great honor to be able to complete some of his important work,” she said. “And I pledge to work hard in the coming months to support the president and continue my brother’s efforts on behalf of the people of South Carolina and the United States.”
Terry Collins is a national correspondent for USA TODAY. Please contact us at tcollins@usatoday.com. Vera Carpentier covers South Carolina Congress, state and Greenville County politics. Contact bcarpentier@gannett.com..
