Lindsey Graham’s sister appointed interim US Senator following his death
Darline Graham Nordone has been appointed to temporarily fill the US Senate seat left vacant by the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, after being selected by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.
Governor McMaster announced the appointment on Monday, describing Nordone as Graham’s “darling little sister” and saying she would carry on the late senator’s work until the end of his term.
Accepting the appointment, Nordone said it was a great honour and pledged to continue her brother’s legacy, noting that he had always supported her and that she now intended to serve in his place.
The decision follows calls from several senior officials, including President Donald Trump, who backed Nordone’s appointment as a tribute to the late senator. Graham never married and had no children.
Nordone will serve the remainder of Graham’s Senate term, which expires in 2027.
Governor McMaster noted that Graham had devoted much of his life to caring for his younger sister after the death of their parents and said it was fitting that she now complete the work he began.
“I believe this is what Lindsey would have wanted, and I intend to honour him by serving,” Nordone said.
Senator Graham died on Saturday at the age of 71 after suffering an aortic dissection linked to cardiovascular disease, according to preliminary findings from the Washington, D.C., medical examiner.
Before his death, Graham had secured the Republican nomination for another Senate term and was preparing to contest the November election. Several Republican politicians have already declared their intention to seek the seat permanently.
The siblings were orphaned within 15 months of each other’s parents’ deaths. Graham was 22 while Nordone was 13. Although she initially lived with other relatives, the two remained close as Graham pursued a legal career and served in the US Air Force.
Nordone, a mother of two who works helping people with disabilities find employment, once described her brother as “a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one.”
Graham later legally adopted her to ensure she would qualify for his military benefits should anything happen to him. She remained a constant presence throughout his political career, and he had previously joked that she would serve as his first lady if he had ever been elected president.
Source: BBC
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