Darline Graham Nordone
American employment specialist and US senator-designate (born 1964)
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Darline Graham Nordone (born Darlene Graham; 1964) is an American employment specialist who is the junior United States senator-designate from South Carolina. She is the younger sister of the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham whose seat she has been appointed to fill.
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1964 (age 61–62)
Darline Graham Nordone | |
|---|---|
Graham Nordone in 2015 | |
| United States Senator from South Carolina | |
| Assuming office July 15, 2026 | |
| Appointed by | Henry McMaster |
| Succeeding | Lindsey Graham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Darlene Graham 1964 (age 61–62) Central, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Larry Nordone |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Lindsey Graham (brother) |
| Education | College of Charleston (BS) |
She was appointed by governor Henry McMaster to serve the remainder of Lindsey's term after his death in July 2026. She is expected to serve until at least January 3, 2027, when her brother's term ends.[1]
Early life
Darlene Graham[2] was born in 1964, in the town of Central, South Carolina.[3][4] Her parents operated an establishment called the Sanitary Cafe that sold alcohol and contained a pool hall.[3] Graham's mother died when she was twelve years old of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and her father died fifteen months later of a heart attack.[5] After their deaths, Graham's brother, Lindsey, arranged for her to live with her aunt and uncle in Seneca, South Carolina. Prior to joining the Air Force, he adopted her.[6] While teaching her how to spell, Lindsey taught her to spell her name as "Darline", which she never changed.[2] She graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science in sociology in 1989.[7]
Career and political activity
By 2002, Nordone had appeared in a television advertisement for Lindsey's campaign in that year's U.S. Senate election in South Carolina.[8] She continued to assist in her brother's subsequent campaigns, discussing her childhood in 2014[6] and 2026.[9] Nordone additionally supported her brother's campaign for President of the United States in the 2016 election, introducing him in his first campaign speech.[10] By 2008, she had worked in the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department. She helped coordinate a work-from-home program for adults with severe disabilities for Time Warner.[11]
In 2019, she became commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, which provides services such as vocational training to South Carolinians that are blind or have low vision. Since Janiuary 2026, she is also the president of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.[7]
U.S. Senate
South Carolina senator Tim Scott spoke to her after Lindsey Graham's death on July 11, 2026.[12] On July 13, President Donald Trump endorsed Nordone to fill the seat.[13] That day, South Carolina governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham Nordone.[14] She will be sworn in as a senator on July 15, 2026.[12] Upon taking office, she will become the first woman to represent South Carolina in the US Senate.[15]