Trump Backs Darline Graham for South Carolina Senate Seat, Reversing Russell Fry Push in 1 Week
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 24
Trump Backs Darline Graham for South Carolina Senate Seat, Reversing Russell Fry Push in 1 Week
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 24
Summary
Darline Graham won Trump’s backing to fill Lindsey Graham’s vacant South Carolina Senate seat and to pursue the full six-year term after her brother’s death.
1 day after the senator died, Trump had urged Gov. Henry McMaster to appoint Representative Russell Fry, a House ally he viewed as a loyal MAGA supporter.
McMaster instead favored Darline Graham, the late senator’s sister and a disability-rights advocate near Columbia, setting off a high-stakes week of calls and maneuvering.
10 people familiar with the episode told the Times that Trump, described as unusually emotional over his friend’s death, ultimately blessed McMaster’s preferred choice.
South Carolina now faces its first open Republican Senate primary in more than 20 years, with the vacancy turning grief into an immediate succession fight.
How did Lindsey Graham’s sister go from low-profile public servant to South Carolina’s first woman in the Senate after a week of mourning and pressure?
Can Darline Graham Nordone’s disability-services background reshape her brief Senate tenure before voters decide who serves the full term?
Trump’s Endorsement Gamble: The 2026 South Carolina Senate Special Primary, Dynastic Succession, and the Battle for GOP Loyalty
Overview
The sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham in July 2026 set off a political scramble in South Carolina, with his sister Darline Graham Nordone appointed to his Senate seat and quickly sworn in as the state's first female senator. Days later, Donald Trump endorsed Nordone for the upcoming special Republican primary, shaking up a crowded field of at least nine GOP candidates and forcing rivals to rethink their campaigns. Trump's endorsement brought immediate establishment support for Nordone but also sparked public backlash over political dynasties and tested Trump's kingmaker influence, as party leaders and conservative factions split their loyalties in a race likely headed for a runoff.