BREAKING: South Carolina's Governor Appoints Lindsey Graham's Sister to Fill His Senate Seat

We now know who will replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who suddenly passed away over the weekend. Gov. Henry McMaster (R-S.C.) appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the late senator’s younger sister, to take his place in the Senate until the election in November.

“Lindsey has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him,” Nordone told reporters at a press conference with McMaster on Monday afternoon. “It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work, and I promise 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.”

“To Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words,” she added. “But I’m going to do this. I got it.”

Of course, Nordone’s name came up when President Donald Trump suggested that McMaster nominate her in a post on Truth Social: "I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

CNN reports:

Under state law, McMaster can appoint a temporary replacement to fill Graham’s vacant seat. But because Graham was up for reelection this year, his death will kick off a sprint primary election to replace him on the November ballot.
Ahead of the press conference, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN’s Dana Bash that he spoke Sunday with both Nordone and McMaster.
“I’ll let the governor make an announcement about that, but that certainly in my view makes a lot of sense,” Thune said. “In many respects, it would be a way of extending Lindsey’s legacy here and certainly something that, if that’s what they decide to end up doing, I think there’d be a lot of support for it.”

NewsNation reports that Nordone hasn’t spoken publicly since her brother’s death until the press conference, noting, “Graham Nordone declined interview requests following the news of her brother’s death, saying it was ‘still too raw’ to come out and say anything yet.”

My friend and colleague Sarah Anderson wrote on Sunday night about the wonderful relationship Graham and Nordone have had with each other over the years:

After graduating high school, Graham's college years were wrought with tragedy. When he was just 20 years old, his mother died from Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was the one who had to break the news to his little sister.
A little over a year later, his father died in his sleep after having a heart attack. Darline, who discovered their father dead, was only 13 years old at the time. Graham rushed home from school to comfort his sister. "Lindsey wrapped his arms around me and promised me he would always be there for me and always take care of me," she once said in an interview.
He didn't have to do it. What young man, at the age of 21 or 22, with his whole life ahead, wants to put everything on hold and help raise a young girl and take over a family business? But that's exactly what he did. He came from college every single weekend to spend time with his sister and manage the bar.

Like many others, I had my doubts about appointing Nordone, but as the day has drawn on, I realized that she’s a perfect caretaker for the seat since she’ll fulfill her brother’s vision. Then November's election can take care of itself. Knowing how red South Carolina is, I have no reason to worry whether this seat will stay in safe hands.

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