Darline Graham, sister of late Sen. Lindsey Graham, sworn in as senator

News Darline Graham, sister of late Sen. Lindsey Graham, sworn in as senator Comments: by Helen Huiskes - 07/14/26 2:55 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Helen Huiskes - 07/14/26 2:55 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Darline Graham Nordone was sworn in as the newest U.S. senator Tuesday, succeeding her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

It’s the first time in Senate history that a sibling has been sworn in to replace a senator who died in office.

Dressed in pale blue, Nordone recited the oath of office at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with most of the Senate, some former senators, the South Carolina delegation from the House, and Cabinet secretaries Scott Bessent and Marco Rubio looking on, along with other visitors.

Senate Republicans again have a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

Lindsey Graham passed away suddenly on Saturday from an aortic dissection, a heart problem. The 71-year-old had represented South Carolina in Congress since 1995 and had been a prominent hawk on foreign policy issues and a supporter of Israel, Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The elder Graham adopted his sister, eight years his junior, after the death of both their parents in 1976 and 1977. Nordone, now 62, has kept a low profile in South Carolina for most of her life but has taken the national stage to support her brother in multiple campaigns for Congress and president.

In her professional life, she has worked with state agencies to help adults with disabilities find work. She is married to Larry Nordone and has two children.

The new Sen. Graham will hold the seat until January. A candidate yet to be nominated will take Graham’s spot on the November ballot for a full six-year term. South Carolina Republicans started buzzing on Monday about who might step in on the ballot to keep the seat in Republican hands.

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