Darline Graham Nordone (nรฉe Darlene Graham; born June 12, 1964) is an American public administrator and politician who is the junior United States senator from South Carolina. Following the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, she was appointed to finish his term and took office on July 14, 2026. She is the first woman to represent South Carolina in the US Senate.
๐ถ Early Life
Darlene Graham was born in Central, South Carolina. Her parents operated the Sanitary Cafeโa restaurant, bar, liquor store and pool hallโand the family lived in rooms behind the business. Her mother died of cancer when Graham was 11, and her father died from 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. About nine years her senior, Lindsey became her legal guardian before joining the Air Force. He taught her to spell her first name “Darline”, a spelling she continues to use in adulthood.
๐ Education
She 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.
๐ผ Career
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 president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, with her term starting in January 2027.
In 2008, she began working for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department. She helped coordinate a work-from-home program for adults with severe disabilities for Time Warner.
๐ณ๏ธ Political Involvement
In 2002, Graham appeared in a television advertisement for Lindsey’s campaign in that year’s US Senate election. She continued to assist in his subsequent campaigns, discussing her childhood in 2014 and 2026. Graham supported her brother’s campaign for President of the United States in the 2016 election, introducing him in his first campaign speech.
๐๏ธ Senate Appointment
South Carolina senator Tim Scott spoke to Graham after Lindsey’s death on July 11, 2026. On July 13, President Donald Trump endorsed Graham to fill the Senate seat. That day, South Carolina governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham. She was sworn in on July 14.
She is the first woman to represent South Carolina in the US Senate and is the first sibling to replace a deceased senator. Graham has not stated whether she intends to run for election to a full term.
๐ Personal Life
Graham lives in Lexington, South Carolina, with her husband, Larry Nordone. They have two daughters.
| Category | Detail | Category | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Darline Graham Nordone | Birth Date | June 12, 1964 |
| Birth Place | Central, South Carolina | Education | B.S. Sociology (1989), M.A. Rehabilitation Counseling (2009) |
| Senate Start | July 14, 2026 | Predecessor | Lindsey Graham (brother) |
| Spouse | Larry Nordone | Children | Two daughters |