(The Hill) — In a significant political move, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has appointed Darline Graham Nordone to fill the remaining term of her late brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. Graham Nordone will assume the role immediately, following the Republican senator’s sudden death.
Nordone’s tenure is set to last only until January, as she completes the term of her late brother. Looking ahead, a special GOP primary is scheduled for August to determine who will serve the upcoming full six-year term.
Earlier on Monday, President Trump expressed his endorsement of Nordone’s appointment, describing it as a “fabulous tribute” to her brother’s legacy.
As Graham’s sole sibling, Nordone shared a close bond with him, notably having introduced him during his presidential campaign launch in 2015.
Both siblings had a shared history and often spoke fondly of their upbringing. Raised in the room behind their family’s business, the Sanitary Cafe — a combined pool hall, bar, and restaurant — they faced personal challenges early on. When their mother succumbed to Hodgkin lymphoma, Lindsey Graham, in his early 20s, assumed a caretaker role for his then 11-year-old sister.
Fifteen months later, they would be orphans after their father died.
“I can remember the day my father passed away, standing in the living room of that house, absolutely scared to death,” Nordone said in June 2015, opening for Graham’s presidential announcement event. “And Lindsey wrapped his arms around me and promised me that he would always be there for me and always take care of me, and I can assure you, he’s done that.”
“He always made me feel so loved and so secure. Lindsey also made sure I finished high school, went to college,” she added. “He even legally adopted me.”
More recently, Nordone was even featured in one of Graham’s campaign ads as the late senator sought reelection.
“Of all the things that have happened in my life, her turning out so well is the highlight of it,” Graham said in a 2015 interview with C-SPAN.
Asked what kind of role he could envision Nordone playing in the White House, noting that Graham would be a bachelor if elected president, the GOP senator said: “She would be a support network for me.”
“I hadn’t really thought much about it, but at the end of the day, whatever I ask her to do, she would do,” he said. “And if she took a role on, she would be a great representative of our country.”
Graham even joked in an interview with Daily Mail Online in 2015 that she could serve as his First Lady if needed.
Nordone has two daughters and has worked with helping people with disabilities find jobs, according to The New York Times.