Darline Graham Nordone Appointed
South Carolina's governor picks Lindsey Graham's sister to serve the rest of his term.
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The reporting
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, to fill Graham’s U.S. Senate seat after his sudden death Saturday. Nordone, who has not held elected office, will serve the remaining months of Graham’s term, which ends in January. President Donald Trump urged McMaster to choose Nordone, while a special Republican primary will determine the GOP nominee for the November election. Her appointment keeps Republicans’ Senate majority at 51-47 amid Mitch McConnell’s continued absence.
Analysis & opinion
Succession scrambleLeft & Center
Lindsey Graham’s death threw South Carolina politics into an immediate fight over who will hold his Senate seat. An interim appointment can only settle the vacancy temporarily, leaving the real battle to the coming Republican contest.
Senate agenda strainBalanced
Graham’s death changes the balance and workload of an already busy Senate. With Graham gone and Mitch McConnell still absent, Republicans have a harder path for advancing Trump’s agenda.
Family caretakerBalanced
Darline Graham Nordone is being treated as a fitting interim successor because of her close family tie to Lindsey Graham and her connection to his legacy. Her selection is a low-conflict caretaker solution that also fits a long tradition of relatives stepping into congressional seats after a death.
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