Ashley Brasfield Senior Politics Reporter | Daily Caller |
Senator Lindsey Graham with his sister Darline Graham Nordone at the Iowa State Fair, 2015. Tweet Text: With my sister Darline & @ISF_ButterCow what a great day at the @IowaStateFair #ISF2015By LindseyGrahamSC – From X (Twitter) account of Lindsey Graham, Public Domain, Wikipedia
Republican South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has selected Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s sister to fill the late Senator’s seat in the United States Senate.
McMaster announced the appointment of Darline Graham Nordone during a Monday afternoon press conference, where he reflected on Graham’s decades of public service.
“Lindsey Graham understood the hopes, dreams, and needs of his state and delivered for his state every time,” McMaster said.
Calling the appointment both a duty and an honor, McMaster added, “Lindsey took care of his sisters in years long departed. It’s my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham, to finish his work for him now.”
“She agreed to serve through tears,” he said, adding that he was honored by the sense of “duty” she immediately displayed.
She thanked McMaster for appointing her to complete the remainder of Graham’s term.
“It is such an honor. Lindsey has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him. My brother was the most amazing person, outstanding leader, and just a genuinely good man,” Nordone said.
She said Graham worked “nonstop” to make South Carolina, the United States, and the world a better place, adding that he “loved” public service and devoted his life to it. (RELATED: Trump Wants Lindsey Graham’s Sister Appointed To Replace Her Deceased Brother In Senate)
Looking ahead, Nordone pledged to work hard in the months ahead to “support” President Donald Trump and “carry forward” her brother’s work on behalf of the people of South Carolina and the United States.
The appointment comes after Trump recommended that Graham’s sister be appointed to his seat in a Monday Truth Social post.
“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,” Trump wrote.
Graham and Nordone lost their mother to cancer in 1976. Fifteen months later, their father died of a heart attack, leaving Graham, who was 22 at the time, to help raise his 13-year-old sister.
Looking back on that period, Nordone said, “He’s always been there for me,” describing the close relationship they shared throughout Graham’s life.
Following Graham’s death Saturday night, Nordone briefly spoke with the New York Post (NYP) about her loss.
“Actually, I’m just kind of like devastated right now,” Nordone told the NYP. (RELATED: Lindsey Graham’s Passing Sets Off Scramble For His South Carolina Senate Seat)
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement regarding Nordone’s appointment, “America lost an incredible patriot and fighter in Lindsey Graham, but his legacy of service and his love of South Carolina and our country will live on through his sister, Darline Graham Nordone.”
“President Trump was right to recommend her, and Governor McMaster was right to appoint her. Darline will be a remarkable champion for South Carolina, honoring her brother’s more than three decades of service as she carries on his fight in the U.S. Senate,” Gruters said.
Graham’s death comes after he won the Republican Senate nomination in the South Carolina primary on June 9th for a new six-year term.
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