Darline Graham Nordone jumps into South Carolina Senate race for brother's seat

Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-S.C.) said Monday she is running for a full six-year term to succeed her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), in the upper chamber.

"I'm in," Graham Nordone told Sean Hannity, during an interview that will air in full on Fox News Channel's "Hannity" later Monday.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) appointed Graham Nordone to finish the remainder of her brother's term last week, less than 48 hours after the 71-year-old died of a "brief and sudden" illness.

The chief medical examiner of Washington, D.C., preliminarily ruled Graham's cause of death as aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Prior to his death, Graham was running against Democrat Annie Andrews in his quest for a fifth Senate term. Now, a primary to determine who will take the deceased lawmaker's place as the GOP nominee is set for Aug. 11, with the filing period running from July 21 through July 28.

During her interview with Hannity, Graham Nordone said she decided to run after "praying a lot" and discussing it with her family.

"With the love of my family, with the support of his staff, I know I'm a hard worker. I learned that from Lindsey. He cared about the people of this state. I've worked for almost 30 years for the people of this state," she added, referring to her time working for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation and the state's Commission for the Blind, among other positions in which she advocated for disabled residents.

"I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it," Graham Nordone continued. "Will it be difficult? Yes, absolutely."

President Trump said Friday he encouraged Graham Nordone to run for a full term during a meeting in the Oval Office. In backing Graham Nordone, Trump called the 62-year-old a "true American Patriot."

While Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Monday he will not endorse a candidate in the primary, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) backed Graham Nordone shortly after Fox News shared part of her interview with Hannity.

"I'm proud to join President Trump and endorse Darline Graham," Cotton wrote on social platform X. "She'll be a principled conservative leader and a strong advocate for South Carolina families. She has my full support."

Graham Nordone is not the only Republican seeking the nomination. Reps. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) have also said they are running.

Mark Lynch, who lost to Graham in the initial June GOP primary, threw his name in the hat last week, with attorney Duke Buckner doing the same.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), meanwhile, has not publicly said whether she will enter the race. Mace finished fifth in the Republican gubernatorial primary in South Carolina last month, while Norman finished third.

Early voting in the GOP primary runs from Aug. 5 through 7. If no candidate receives a simple majority of support, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff set for Aug. 25, with early voting taking place from Aug. 19 through 21.