Darlene Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, has taken his Senate seat: what's known about her?

Darlene Graham, the younger sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was sworn in on July 14 to take his Senate seat to serve out the remainder of his term following the sudden death of her brother on July 11, according to CNN.

Darlene Graham was appointed by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. She will serve in the Senate until January 2027. Graham is the first woman to represent South Carolina in the upper chamber of Congress. Before her brother's term ends, the state will hold a special primary on August 11, followed by a general election in November to determine who will fill the seat for another six-year term.

Asked by CNN about her condition and feelings, Graham, leaving the Senate chamber after the swearing-in ceremony, said: "I'm holding up. Thank you for coming."

On the subject: Senator Lindsey Graham has died, hours after his return from Ukraine.

Graham, 62, has never held elected office, but has been involved in community service in South Carolina for many years. She served on the State Commission for the Blind and has long worked with people with disabilities.

After her parents died 15 months apart, she was left an orphan in 1976 at age 13. Lindsey Graham, the first in her family to attend college, was a ROTC participant at the time and became her legal guardian.

According to Darlene Graham, she and her brother were close their entire lives. In an interview with Dana Bash on CNN in 2015, when her brother was running for the 2016 Republican presidential primary, she said, "Even when my parents were alive, they worked hard and had a small business. So he basically took care of me back then."

Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina and ally of President Donald Trump, died of an aortic dissection, according to a preliminary autopsy report from the Washington medical examiner's office. He was 71 years old.

Throughout US history, governors have repeatedly appointed relatives of deceased senators to their seats. Most often, these were spouses. For example, the wife of former Vice President Hubert Humphrey took her husband's Senate seat after his death; Hattie Caraway did the same after her husband's death in 1931. Caraway eventually became the first woman elected to the Senate at large, in 1932.

Lincoln Chafee was appointed to his father's Senate seat from Rhode Island. Senator Lisa Murkowski received her seat by appointment from her father after he became governor of Alaska in 2002, a decision that sparked controversy at the time.

The atmosphere in the Senate chamber during Darlene Graham's swearing-in ceremony reflected the high regard in which her brother was held. Nearly every Republican seat was occupied, and many Democrats attended. Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who worked with Lindsey Graham on international affairs, were in the gallery. Also in the room were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a longtime colleague of Graham's, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—both joined the senators during the ceremony. Several members of the House of Representatives from South Carolina also attended, including Republicans Ralph Norman and Joe Wilson, as well as Democrat Jim Clyburn.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer spoke with Darlene Graham shortly before the ceremony. Republican Senators Katie Britt and Tim Scott escorted her to the podium, where Senator Chuck Grassley swore her oath. Graham's family in the gallery was overwhelmed with emotion, and Senator Joni Ernst, holding a handkerchief, was also touched. After the swearing-in, the audience rose and applauded. Britt and Scott escorted Graham to her brother's desk. Scott placed the Bible she had used during the swearing-in on the table and rested his hand on it for a moment.

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After Senate Republican Leader John Thune and his vice-chairman, John Barrasso, shook her hand, other senators began approaching her to introduce themselves and greet her. At one point, they formed two lines, and Graham approached each one in turn to greet their new colleagues. Even when the Senate moved to vote on advancing the annual defense policy bill, senators continued to approach Darlene Graham one by one to chat.

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