Trump wants Lindsey Graham's sister, Darline Nordone, to replace senator

President Donald Trump is recommending Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, to fill his vacant U.S. Senate seat after the South Carolina senator's sudden death on July 11.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to name a temporary replacement at 4 p.m. July 13.

In a Truth Social post, Trump spelled out his candidate of choice.

"I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham's wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina," Trump posted. "This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!"

Sen. Majority Leader John Thune told CNN the choice of Nordone "would make a lot of sense."

Graham, who was never married and did not have children, has often referred to the close bond he shared with his younger sister.

Lindsey Graham raised sister Darline Graham Nordone

During Graham's 2016 presidential campaign, his younger sister shared with The New York Times how the four-term senator taught her to ride a bicycle.

The siblings were bonded by the loss of both parents at young ages. Their mother, Millie, died of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1976, when Graham was 20 and his sister was 11. Their father, Florence James Graham, died of a heart attack 15 months later, according to the Times report.

"Lindsey was always my parent," Nordone told the Times. "There was no doubt in my mind or anyone else's mind that Lindsey was my guardian."

"He was a young man taking on a young girl and teenager to raise," Nordone said. "He was just dedicating all of that time to raising me and going to school and trying to get an education. There's just only so much time in a day."

Nordone also told the Times that Graham is "kind of like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one."

SC Republicans will hold special primary

McMaster has the authority to appoint someone to fill the Senate seat until January 2027.

Graham was up for re-election in November, seeking his fifth term in the Senate. He prevailed over five primary challengers in June and was expected to face the Democratic nominee, Annie Andrews. Andrews, a pediatrician, previously lost a general election race for Mace's congressional seat in 2022.

South Carolina Republicans will have to hold a special primary to replace Graham as their nominee.

Several names have come up as possible contenders, including Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and outgoing U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, both of whom ran unsuccessfully for governor earlier this year and Rep. Russell Fry, who represents South Carolina's 7th congressional district. Former Rep. Trey Gowdy and current Rep. William Timmons have also been mentioned.

The filing period for a special election is set to open July 21, with a special election date of Aug. 11.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump wants Lindsey Graham's sister, Darline Nordone, to replace senator

Reporting by Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Bella Carpentier and Jay Stahl, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 2:24 PM.