McMaster Appoints Darline Graham Nordone to Senate Seat Through Jan. 3 as GOP Guards 1-Vote Edge
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 13
McMaster Appoints Darline Graham Nordone to Senate Seat Through Jan. 3 as GOP Guards 1-Vote Edge
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 13
Summary
Darline Graham Nordone, 62, will fill Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat until Jan. 3, becoming South Carolina’s first female U.S. senator after McMaster announced the appointment Monday.
Trump pressed for Nordone’s selection after Graham died nearly 48 hours earlier from an aortic dissection, and McMaster said he discussed the choice with both her and the president.
The appointment restores a crucial Republican vote after Graham’s death narrowed the GOP majority, with added strain as Sen. Mitch McConnell is still being treated after a fall and pneumonia.
Aug. 11 is the date for the special GOP primary for the full six-year term, with filing opening July 21 and Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman already eyeing bids.
Nordone has never held elected office and has largely stayed out of public life, though she has served as a commissioner on the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.