De-escalation: Darline Graham Nordone Sworn in As Senator

Darline Graham Nordone was sworn in on July 14, 2026, as U.S. senator from South Carolina to serve the remainder of her late brother Lindsey Graham’s term. CBS News and Greenville’s WYFF covered the Tuesday ceremony.

Nordone, Lindsey Graham’s sister, becomes the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. AP said she was named as a temporary replacement to fulfill the rest of his term.

The swearing-in came three days after Graham’s death, according to ClickOrlando. The Hill streamed the ceremony live, and NBC News earlier noted Republicans were scrambling to find a replacement.

Fox News noted she joins a long history of relatives who replaced late family members in Congress. Greenville News highlighted her prior work serving people with disabilities, and the Washington Post said she had the backing of President Donald Trump.

Outlets differ on the spelling of her surname: Fox News uses “Nardone,” while USA Today, AP, CBS and local outlets use “Nordone.” NewsGuard flagged a surge of conspiracy claims about Lindsey Graham’s death, and only Streamlinefeed reported a backlash to comments by comedian Margaret Cho.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources