Darline Graham sworn in to fill brother’s Senate seat

Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, was sworn in Tuesday to serve the remainder of his Senate term, becoming the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate after her brother’s sudden death over the weekend.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa administered the oath of office on the Senate floor as dozens of senators from both parties watched and stood to applaud. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, also attended the ceremony.

Graham, a Republican, was appointed Monday by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who said he had been encouraged by President Trump and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina to name her to the seat. The appointment came after Lindsey Graham died late Saturday at age 71.

At an emotional news conference in Columbia, South Carolina, McMaster described the bond between the late senator and his younger sister. “Lindsey took care of his little sister in years long departed,” the governor said, calling it an “honor to ask his little sister Darline Graham to finish his work for him now.”

Darline Graham, 62, said she accepted the appointment as a way to honor her brother and continue his work for the state.

“It’s such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work,” she said, pledging to “work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States.”

“Lindsey has always been there for me,” she added. “And now I will be there for him.”

The late senator was not married and did not have a family of his own. He and his sister had a close relationship rooted in family loss early in their lives. After their parents died in short succession when Lindsey Graham was in his early 20s, he became Darline Graham’s legal guardian when she was 13.

Darline Graham has spent her career in disabilities services and most recently served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. She does not have a background in elected office. Speaking Monday, she said that with help from her brother’s staff, she felt confident she could carry out the responsibilities of the office.

The term she is filling ends in early January, when a new Congress is sworn in. Lindsey Graham, a four-term senator, had been seeking reelection before his death. South Carolina Republicans are scheduled to hold a special primary election on Aug. 11 to select a nominee to replace him on the ballot.

The Guardian reported that the Republican nominee will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November midterms.

It remains unclear whether Darline Graham will run for a full six-year term or serve only as a caretaker for the seat during the remaining months of her brother’s term.

“I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted,” she said. “And I plan to honor him in this way.”