WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� , the sister of the late South Carolina was sworn in by the Senate on Tuesday afternoon 鈥� filling the seat just three days after her brother鈥檚 death.
Graham by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday to fill the remaining months of her brother鈥檚 current term. A separate special election will be held next month to pick a new Republican nominee in the general election for Lindsey鈥檚 Graham鈥檚 seat, as he had been seeking a fifth term this year.
Darline Graham, who will be the state鈥檚 first female senator, has not previously held public office. She has worked as an optician and at various state agencies, including the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and the Department of Employment and Workforce. She is married to Larry Nordone but will be known in the Senate as Darline Graham, her legal name.
She said on Monday that her older brother, who raised her after their parents died, had always been there for her. 鈥淎nd now, I will be there for him,鈥� she said.
Graham, 71, in Washington. A preliminary report from the medical examiner said he suffered a , known as an aortic dissection. One of President Donald Trump鈥檚 in the Senate, he was the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was set to become the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said before the swearing in Tuesday that he knows Darline Graham 鈥渨ill carry on Lindsey鈥檚 tireless service to South Carolina.鈥�
Graham has often been by her brother鈥檚 side
Lindsey Graham, who was not married and did not have children, was exceptionally close to his sister. He became her legal guardian after their parents died, when he was 22 and she was 13. She often appeared at his campaign events and supported him in speeches and campaign ads, and she was there as he filed reelection paperwork earlier this year, along with her children and grandchildren.
鈥淭o Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words,鈥� his sister said as McMaster announced her appointment. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 going to do this. I got it.鈥�
McMaster said the two had spoken 鈥渋n the wee hours of Sunday morning鈥� after Graham鈥檚 death, and he asked her to serve.
鈥淚 had wondered what you would say, and I was humbled by your quickness to see the duty that you had to serve,鈥� McMaster said. He added that President Donald Trump 鈥渢hought it was a great idea鈥� when he later told him of his pick. Trump announced his support for Graham to fill the seat earlier Monday.
South Carolina holds a special primary in August
According to South Carolina law, a one-week filing period for a special primary election begins on the second Tuesday after the candidate鈥檚 death, or July 21.
The special primary election would be held on the second Tuesday after that filing period closes, or Aug. 11. Any necessary runoff would follow two weeks after that, or Aug. 25.
From that point, the new nominee would have just over two months to campaign for the general election on Nov. 3.
Several Republicans are potentially eyeing a run, including Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Republican Reps. Russell Fry, Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman.
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Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard contributed to this report from Columbia, South Carolina.
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