South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to fill his vacant Senate seat for the remainder of his term. This appointment continues a notable trend in American politics where family members have succeeded deceased relatives in congressional office.
Darline Graham Nordone is expected to be sworn in as the interim senator, becoming the first woman to hold a U.S. Senate seat from South Carolina. Lindsey Graham had adopted his sister, and her ascension to his seat is described by former Rep. Trey Gowdy as a "tragically symmetrical," highlighting their close bond and humble origins.
This instance of family succession in Congress is not unprecedented. In Louisiana, Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., took over the House seat her husband, Luke Letlow, had won before dying of COVID-19 complications in December 2020, just after his election but before he could be sworn in. She successfully won the special election to fill his term.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., was elected to the House seat previously held by her father, former Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., who passed away in March 2025 after 22 years in Congress. Adelita won the subsequent special election to represent her father's district.
Similarly, in Texas, Erica Lee Carter was elected to the House seat formerly occupied by her mother, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. Jackson Lee died in 2024, and after an initial endorsement of another candidate, Carter ran and won the special election to complete her mother's term. She chose not to seek reelection afterward.
Another prominent example involves Mary Bono, who stepped into her late husband Sonny Bono's congressional seat in California after his death in a 1998 skiing accident. Mary Bono went on to serve 15 years in the House of Representatives.
In New Jersey, Donald Payne Jr. followed in his father's footsteps, winning a special election to fill the House seat his father, former Rep. Donald Payne Sr., D-N.J., had held for 23 years before his death in March 2012. Payne Sr. had succumbed to colon cancer.
Darline Graham Nordone expressed her commitment to honoring her brother's legacy, stating, "Lindsey has always been there for me. And now, I will be there for him," during her remarks at the South Carolina statehouse.