JULY 15, 2026

South Carolina Governor Appoints Darline Graham to Fill Late Senator Lindsey Graham's Seat

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham, the younger sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, to fill his Senate seat following Graham's sudden death. Darline Graham is set to be sworn in on Tuesday afternoon. Her appointment makes her the first female U.S. senator in South Carolina history.

Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, selected Darline Graham to serve the remainder of her brother's Senate term, placing her in a line of relatives who have stepped into congressional seats vacated by deceased family members. Lindsey Graham had been her legal guardian after their parents died in 1976 and 1977. Accepting the nomination, Darline said, "Lindsey has always been there for me. And, now, I will be there for him."

The appointment draws on a recurring pattern in American political history in which family members have won or been appointed to seats left vacant by a relative's death. Fox News, the sole source for this story, led with that historical context, framing the Graham appointment as the latest example of a broader congressional tradition.

Among the cases Fox News cited: Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., won a 2021 special election for the House seat her husband Luke Letlow had been elected to but never sworn into after he died of COVID-19 complications in December 2020. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., won a special election in late 2025 for the seat held by her father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who died of lung cancer in March 2025 after announcing he would not seek re-election; she was formally sworn in on Nov. 12, 2025.