Darline Lettie Graham Nordone – appointed last week to fill the Senate seat of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) – is raising eyebrows over what one critic called a "sinister" move in her apparent bid to hold the seat for a full term.
Graham died unexpectedly earlier this month from a sudden illness, later determined to likely be related to a heart issue. At the recommendation of President Donald Trump, South Carolina GOP Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Nordone, to fill the vacant seat on an interim basis.
Trump later endorsed Nordone to run for the seat, and she officially announced her bid for office on Monday. That same day, Nordone promoted the launch of her campaign on social media, directing followers to her campaign website, which notably referenced her name as only “Darline Graham.”
In 2006, then-Darline Lettie Graham, 41, married Lawrence Andrew Nordone, with whom she has two daughters. On Nordone’s campaign website, there exists no mention that Nordone is married, and her name is listed only as “Darline Graham,” a detail that left political commentator and Democratic strategist Keith Edwards stunned.
“Lol she dropped her married name,” Edwards, who previously served as the communications director for the Lincoln Project during the 2020 election, wrote Tuesday in a social media post on X to his more than 178,000 followers. “Sinister.”
Trump’s endorsement of Nordone left South Carolina’s GOP leadership fuming, largely over the uncertainty surrounding her political views or ideology, as she’s largely led a private life and never held a seat as an elected official.
“Once we saw the president jump in and support her, 95 percent are saying, 'What the hell are we doing here?’” said CJ Westfall, the chair of the Dorchester County GOP. “We don't know how she votes. We don't know what she believes.”
lol she dropped her married name. sinister https://t.co/ZEivz90ShV
— Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) July 21, 2026