Story perspectives

Darline Graham Appointed SC's First Female, Sibling Senator, Runs

7/25/2026

Summary

Graham Succeeds Brother

U.S. Senator Darline Graham, 62, succeeded her brother Senator Lindsey Graham after his death at 71, becoming the Senate’s first sibling successor and South Carolina’s first female senator.
She completed her first full week in office on Friday.
Appointments have placed 21 of the 65 Senate women, about a third, in office.
Critics label such appointees “nepo senators.”
U.S. President Donald Trump praised Graham’s appointment as a tribute to her brother.

Summary

Graham Enters Primary

Darline Graham entered the special GOP primary scheduled for next month.
She is running to replace her brother on the November ballot for a six-year term.
U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed her candidacy.
She faces two congressmen, businessman Mark Lynch, and former Governor Mark Sanford in the primary.
Her platform backs anti-abortion legislation, a Trump-backed voting-rule tightening measure, and a bipartisan Russia-sanctions bill named for her late brother.

History

Historical Context

Margaret Chase Smith broke the Senate’s gender barrier and, while serving in 1965, gave Republicans two of the era’s only two female senators (about 3% of the chamber). Decades of incremental gains—from Hattie Caraway’s 1932 victory to the 1992 “Year of the Woman”—culminated in Darline Graham’s 2024 South Carolina appointment, part of a record 27 women serving together in 2026.

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Graham Succeeds Brother

U.S. Senator Darline Graham, 62, succeeded her brother Senator Lindsey Graham after his death at 71, becoming the Senate’s first sibling successor and South Carolina’s first female senator.
She completed her first full week in office on Friday.
Appointments have placed 21 of the 65 Senate women, about a third, in office.
Critics label such appointees “nepo senators.”
U.S. President Donald Trump praised Graham’s appointment as a tribute to her brother.

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