Who could replace Lindsey Graham? Darline Graham Nordone, sister of Lindsey Graham, picked to fulfill remainder of his Senate term

Charleston, South Carolina – Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darlene Graham Nordon, has been appointed as her late brother’s interim replacement in the US Senate.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced at a news conference at the Statehouse on Monday that Nordon will serve the remaining months of Graham’s current term, which ends in January. A person familiar with the appointment process but not authorized to speak about it publicly said Nardone would be sworn in on Wednesday. She will be the first woman to represent the state in the US Senate.

“It’s a huge honor,” Nordon said. “Lindsey has always been there for me. Now I’ll be there for him.”

Graham died over the weekend at the age of 71. He never married or had a family of his own, but Nordon was often by her brother’s side at political touchpoints in his career, speaking at events and appearing in some of his campaign ads.

After their parents died at an early age, Graham was left to raise his sister, of whom he later became legal guardian. They were very close, and she was present when he filed his re-election papers earlier this year, along with her children and grandchildren.

A special election will be held next month to choose a new Republican candidate in the general election for Graham’s seat. He was seeking a fifth term this year.

The rare open Senate seat sparked a struggle among South Carolina’s more ambitious conservatives, who were eager to move up the political ladder.

Republicans have just wrapped up a sprawling and bruising contest to figure out their nominee to succeed McMaster, who is wrapping up his second term. State Attorney General Alan Wilson won the nomination, defeating a field that included Lt. Gov. Pamela Yvette, Rep. Nancy Mace, and Ralph Norman — all of whom are now eyeing Graham’s seat following his death over the weekend.

How will the private primary work?

According to South Carolina law, the one-week filing period for special primaries begins on the second Tuesday after the candidate’s death, or July 21.

The special primary is scheduled for the second Tuesday after the filing period closes, or August 11. Any necessary runoff would follow two weeks later, or August 25.

From that point, the new candidate will have just over two months to campaign in the general election scheduled for November 3.

All of this is problematic under federal law, which requires military and foreign ballots to be out 45 days before any federal election. For the special primary, that would have been June 27. Federal Election Commission officials did not immediately send a message seeking clarification of the process.

Who can replace Graham?

Graham died Saturday night, and the initial coroner’s report said he suffered a ruptured aorta, known as an aortic dissection.

In the hours after Graham’s death was announced, Republican circles in South Carolina were already abuzz with rumors about potential replacements. Given the proximity of the November election, McMaster’s appointee will likely be a front-runner in the special primary, although McMaster’s pick will likely only serve as acting caretaker.

Yvette, who served nearly eight years alongside McMaster and received his endorsement in the governor’s race, is one possibility. She lost the June 23 runoff to Wilson.

A person familiar with Yvette’s thinking but not authorized to discuss it publicly said she was receiving encouragement from around the state and felt she would have a good shot in the special primary.

It is unlikely that any House member will be appointed to end Graham’s current term, because Republicans hold a slim majority in the chamber.

US Rep. Joe Wilson, who is rumored to be his replacement, said he assured Trump on Sunday that “my goal is to remain in the House of Representatives to maintain the two-vote majority for the American people!!!”

However, this does not mean that House members will not run for the next full term. A person familiar with Mace’s thinking but not authorized to speak about it publicly said she is considering the race. Mace will not run for re-election to the House of Representatives.

But another state Republican, Rep. Russell Frey, may be a possibility. The two-term lawmaker represents the growing district around Myrtle Beach and has been a top Trump ally.

Businessman Mark Lynch, who Graham defeated in the primary, could also jump into the race. A person familiar with Mark Sanford’s thinking, but not authorized to speak publicly, said he’s thinking about it, too.

Treasury Secretary Scott Besent, who lived in South Carolina before joining the Trump administration, has received calls about possibly replacing Graham, but he has no interest in the position and enjoys working with the president, according to a person who insisted on anonymity to describe private conversations.

How does Graham’s death affect the general election?

No Democrat has won a Senate seat in South Carolina in decades, and Republicans in recent history typically hold statewide seats by double digits. When Graham last ran in 2020, he defeated his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, by 10 percentage points.

So while history suggests Graham was headed for a fifth term, Republicans are carefully surveying the landscape.

Charleston pediatrician Annie Andrews won the Democratic nomination last month and raised more than $8 million in the race, and had just under $3 million in cash at the end of May, according to federal filings. Graham earned $6 million, with just over $4 million on hand.

In a statement Sunday, Andrews called on South Carolinians to join her “in putting aside partisanship and offering gratitude” to Graham for his service.

Harrison, noting that he and Graham “have had our share of political disagreements,” wrote on social media that he “always appreciates that even in our fiercest political battles, we can still share conversation, laughter, and mutual respect for the state of South Carolina and the institutions we have had the honor to serve.”

What happens to Republican influence in South Carolina?

Graham leaves a major void in the Senate, where seniority can determine influence. He has served on the Council for more than two decades, positioning himself to lead committees and set the agenda.

Scott, a South Carolina state senator, has only been in office since 2012 — fewer by state standards. Fritz Hollings served for 38 years, while Strom Thurmond was there for 47 years.

Scott, who co-chaired Graham’s re-election effort, called his former colleague “irreplaceable.”

He said in an interview with the “This Week” program on ABC, “America has lost a statesman, but I have lost a friend.”

___

Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Kinnard reported from Charleston, South Carolina, and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP.