Darline Lettie Graham Nordone (born Darlene Lettie Graham; June 12, 1964) is an American politician and public administrator serving as the junior United States senator from South Carolina, a seat she has held since July 14, 2026. A member of the Republican Party, she was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of her older brother, Lindsey Graham. She is the first woman to represent South Carolina in the United States Senate.
Graham is the Republican nominee in the 2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina, facing Democratic nominee Annie Andrews.
Contents
Early life and education
Darlene Lettie Graham was born in Central, South Carolina, on June 12, 1964. Her parents, Florence James "F. J." Graham and Millie Graham (née Walters), operated a restaurant, bar, liquor store, and pool hall, and the family lived in rooms behind the business. Her mother died of cancer when Graham was 11, and her father died of a heart attack 15 months later. After their deaths, Graham's brother, Lindsey, arranged for her to live with her aunt and uncle in Seneca, South Carolina. Before joining the Air Force in 1982, Lindsey—who was nine years her senior—became Graham's legal guardian. He taught her to spell her first name "Darline", a spelling she continues to use in adulthood.
Graham graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science in sociology in 1989. She also earned a Master of Arts in rehabilitation counseling from South Carolina State University in 2009.
Career
Public administration
In 2008, Graham began working for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department. She helped coordinate a remote work program for adults with severe disabilities for Time Warner. By 2015, she was the department's public information director.
In 2019, Graham became commissioner and agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, which administers vocational rehabilitation, independent living, and blindness-prevention programs for South Carolinians who are blind or have low vision. She also serves on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and its SC Works Management Committee. In 2026, she was elected president of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, with her term scheduled to start in January 2027.
Political involvement
In 2002, Graham appeared in a television advertisement for Lindsey's campaign in that year's United States Senate election in South Carolina. She continued to assist in his subsequent campaigns, discussing her childhood during the 2014 and 2026 Senate races. Graham supported her brother's campaign for president of the United States in the 2016 election, introducing him in his first campaign speech.
U.S. Senate (2026–present)
Appointment
South Carolina governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham on July 13, 2026, to fill her brother's vacant senate seat, the same day President Donald Trump endorsed her. She was sworn in on July 14. She is the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate and the first senator to replace a sibling. Her appointment marked the first time 27 women have served concurrently in the Senate, including 11 Republican women, both records.
2026 election
President Trump publicly encouraged Graham on July 17 to run in the 2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina and promised to endorse her if she did. Graham told Sean Hannity three days later that she intended to run for a full term. She came in first in the special primary election on August 11, advancing to a runoff with Ralph Norman. On August 25, Graham won the runoff, advancing to the general election against Annie Andrews, with the winner set to become the first woman elected to the Senate from South Carolina.
When Graham was asked questions about national security issues in Taiwan and the South China Sea during the debate with Norman, she could not answer them. Her debate performance was called "embarrassing". Although Trump endorsed Graham, some of his supporters refused to vote for her.
Tenure
Graham introduced legislation on July 16 to impose sanctions on Russia. The legislation is based on the Sanctioning Russia Act, a bill Lindsey Graham authored and supported, and has bipartisan support.
Committee assignments
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Committee on the Budget
Committee on Environment and Public Works
Committee on the Judiciary
Personal life
Graham was previously married to Terry Lee Boggs; the couple had two daughters together before divorcing in 2003. Graham married Larry Nordone circa 2006. They live in Lexington, South Carolina.