Trump pushes Lindsey Graham's sister to run for US Senate after she gets appointment to finish out term

President Donald Trump is throwing his political weight behind the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, urging his sister, the newly appointed South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, to run in next month’s special Republican primary and vowing to give her his "Complete and Total Endorsement."

The endorsement, which came in a Truth Social post Friday just days after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham Nordone to temporarily fill the seat left vacant by her brother’s sudden death last week.

Graham Nordone will serve until the new Congress convenes in January, while Republicans who want the full term are set to compete in an Aug. 11 special primary.

"She is a spectacular person, and a true American Patriot. Lindsey was one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, and his sister shares his deep love of our Country, and the State of South Carolina," Trump said in his Truth post. "I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey."

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Trump added that Graham Nordone "comes from an absolutely incredible family," arguing she "has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement."

The newly minted U.S. Senator represents a series of firsts for the Senate and for her home state as the first female senator from the Palmetto State and the first sister ever appointed to the upper chamber.

Privately, Graham Nordone has reportedly expressed interest in running for a full term.

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Three people familiar with the deliberations told The Associated Press that Graham Nordone has started having conversations about a potential campaign.

She was appointed to fulfill the remainder of her brother’s term on Monday by McMaster, and was sworn in on Tuesday.

The filing period for a special primary runs from July 21 to July 28, and the primary is scheduled for Aug. 11. 

Several other noteworthy politicians — including Reps. Russell Fry, Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, as well as Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette — have been eyeing a run, the AP also reported.