Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham's sister, sworn in as senator

Washington — Darline Graham, the sister of the precocious Sen. Lindsey Graham, was sworn successful Tuesday to service retired the remainder of his word successful the Senate, pursuing his abrupt decease implicit the weekend. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa administered the oath of bureau connected the Senate level arsenic dozens of senators, from some sides of the aisle, were successful attendance and stood to applaud. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner were besides successful attendance. 

Graham, who died precocious Saturday astatine 71, was not joined and did not person a household of his own. He and his sister had a adjacent relationship. The precocious legislator became his sister's ineligible guardian erstwhile she was 13, aft their parents died successful abbreviated succession erstwhile Graham was successful his aboriginal twenties. 

Darline Graham present becomes the archetypal pistillate to correspond South Carolina successful the Senate. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa administers the oath of bureau to Darline Graham, the sister of the precocious Sen. Lindsey Graham, connected the Senate level connected Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Senate TV

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to implicit her brother's word connected Monday, amid encouragement from President Trump and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. During an affectional quality league announcing her appointment, McMaster said "Lindsey took attraction of his small sister successful years agelong departed," calling it an "honor to inquire his small sister Darline Graham to decorativeness his enactment for him now."

Darline Graham, 62, called it "such a privilege to get to decorativeness immoderate of his important work," portion pledging to "work hard implicit the adjacent respective months to enactment the president and transportation guardant the efforts of my member connected behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States."

"Lindsey has ever been determination for me," she said. "And present I volition beryllium determination for him."

The precocious senator's word ends successful aboriginal January, erstwhile a caller Congress volition beryllium sworn in. Because the four-term legislator had been seeking reelection, South Carolina volition clasp a peculiar superior predetermination connected Aug. 11 to prime a Republican to regenerate him connected the ballot.

Darline Graham, who has had a vocation successful disabilities services and astir precocious served arsenic commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, doesn't person a inheritance successful elected office. But she said Monday that with the enactment of her brother's staff, she feels assured successful her quality to transportation retired the role. Whether she runs for a six-year word oregon opts to service simply arsenic a caretaker for the spot for the coming months remains to beryllium seen. 

"I deliberation this is what Lindsey would person wanted," she said. "And I program to grant him successful this way."