|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
COLUMBIA, S.C. (BFMG) — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appoints the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darlene Graham-Nordon, to temporarily fill his vacant Senate seat, a move that would make her the Palmetto State’s first female U.S. senator for the next six months.
Sources familiar with McMaster’s plans say he will tap Graham-Nordon to serve out the remainder of her brother’s fourth six-year term, which runs through Jan. 3, 2027. Graham, who had represented South Carolina in the Senate since January 2003, died suddenly Saturday evening, July 11, 2026, of an aortic dissection at his Washington, D.C., residence.
Graham’s unexpected death, which remains under investigation, has triggered intense political maneuvering in South Carolina, as Republicans and Democrats alike weigh the immediate appointment and the longer-term implications for the seat. Questions about who would succeed Graham — both on an interim basis and as the next elected senator — began swirling early Sunday as news of his death spread widely.
McMaster is scheduled to formally announce his choice at a 4 p.m. news conference Monday at the South Carolina State House in Columbia. His expected decision was effectively previewed, however, by a social media post from President Donald Trump.
“I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darlene, to serve as interim senator from the great state of South Carolina,” Trump wrote Monday morning on his Truth Social platform. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly.”
Graham-Nordon, 62, of Lexington, S.C., has long been regarded as a key member of her brother’s informal “kitchen cabinet,” advising him behind the scenes over many years. Her potential selection as an interim replacement was first floated publicly by FITS News on Sunday.
McMaster’s expected appointment would apply only to the unexpired portion of Graham’s current term according to FITS News. Separate from that decision, state officials are moving ahead with plans for a special Republican primary election on Aug. 11, 2026, to determine a new GOP nominee for the November general election ballot.
At the time of his death, Graham was already the Republican nominee for the seat he held and was slated to face Democrat Annie Andrews, Libertarian Casey Whitner, Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett and several independent candidates in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. With Graham’s passing, the GOP must now choose a new nominee, and several high-profile Republicans are signaling they intend to run.
The winner of the August primary is expected to be favored in November, given the state’s recent electoral history. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate race in South Carolina since Fritz Hollings captured his final term in 1998.
This is a developing story. Further details about McMaster’s announcement and the special election field are expected in the coming days.
