Darline Graham is sworn in as senator to fill her brother Lindsey Graham’s seat

CongressDarline Graham is sworn in as senator to fill her brother Lindsey Graham’s seatThough she was previously not a politician or public figure, she is expected to be a reliable vote for the Republican majority.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Sen. Darline Graham was sworn in to fill the seat vacated by the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, on Saturday night.Alex Martin / The Greenville News / USA Today Network via Imagn ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 14, 2026, 3:01 PM EDTBy Sahil Kapur, Brennan Leach and Frank Thorp VWASHINGTON — Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., was sworn in Tuesday afternoon to fill the seat of her older brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, three days after he died unexpectedly.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.She was sworn in to a standing ovation by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the Senate President pro tempore. While her legal name since marriage is Darline Graham Nordone, a spokesperson said she will go by Darline Graham in the Senate. According to records, it is the first instance of a sibling being appointed to replace a deceased senator.She was appointed one day earlier by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to finish her brother’s term, which was set to last until early January. A day earlier, she called it “an honor,” and said: “Lindsey has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him.”Though Graham was previously not a politician or public figure, she is expected to be a reliable vote for the Republican majority.“She loves the country, and she would do what Lindsey would do,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said moments before she was officially sworn in Tuesday.South Carolina Republicans are expected to hold a special primary election to pick a new nominee, who will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election for a full six-year term.Republicans considering a run for the seat include Norman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Rep. Nancy Ma...