President Donald Trump threw his full support behind Darline Graham Nordone, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., urging her to run for a full term in the U.S. Senate seat her brother held for more than two decades.
Read more Trump Urges Republicans to Add Iran to Russia Sanctions Bill to Honor Lindsey Graham
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he personally asked Nordone to enter the special Republican primary set for Aug. 11. “I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026,” Trump wrote.
“I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey,” he added, calling her “a WINNER all of her life” and pledging his “Complete and Total Endorsement” should she run. “SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN. RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Trump wrote.
The endorsement is a striking show of confidence from a president who forged a close alliance with Graham over the years, and it signals that Trump wants a trusted hand to keep South Carolina’s Senate seat firmly in Republican control.
Nordone, appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster to fill her brother’s seat after his sudden death last week at age 71, was sworn in Tuesday, becoming the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. She will serve the remainder of Graham’s term, which runs through Jan. 3, 2027. The winner of November’s special election will serve a full term through January 2033.
Read more Is China Sabotaging America’s Data Centers?
Though Nordone has not formally announced a campaign, Semafor reported Friday that she is weighing a run for the seat. Her Senate office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
For decades, Nordone stood alongside her brother through his campaigns and was widely regarded as his closest family confidant. Graham never married and had no children of his own. Supporters say her firsthand experience and deep ties to South Carolina voters make her a natural choice to continue Graham’s steady conservative leadership on the Senate Armed Services and Judiciary committees.
Trump’s backing is likely to clear the Republican field before it fully forms. Candidates have a narrow window, July 21 to July 28, to file for the special primary, and with the president’s endorsement behind her, other GOP hopefuls may think twice before challenging Nordone.
Read more Morning Greatness: Two U.S. Troops Killed in Iranian Missile Attack on Jordan
