Graham was the Republican nominee in the 2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina, losing to Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in an upset.
Early life and education
Darlene Lettie Graham was born in Central, South Carolina, on June 12, 1964. Her parents, Florence James "F. J." Graham and Millie Graham (née Walters), operated a restaurant, bar, liquor store, and pool hall, and the family lived in rooms behind the business. Her mother died of cancer when Graham was 11, and her father died of a heart attack 15 months later. After their deaths, Graham's brother Lindsey arranged for her to live with an aunt and uncle in Seneca, South Carolina. Before joining the Air Force in 1982, Lindsey, nine years her senior, became Graham's legal guardian. He taught her to spell her first name "Darline", a spelling she continues to use in adulthood.
Graham graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science in sociology in 1989. She earned a Master of Arts in rehabilitation counseling from South Carolina State University in 2009, and is a certified public manager.
Career
Public administration
In 2007, Graham began working for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department. She helped coordinate a remote work program for adults with severe disabilities for Time Warner. She was the department's public information director in 2015.
In 2019, Graham became commissioner and agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, which administers vocational rehabilitation, independent living, and blindness-prevention programs. She serves on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and its works management committee. In 2026, Graham became president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind. Her term is scheduled to begin in January 2027.
Political involvement
In 2002, Graham appeared in a television advertisement for her brother's campaign in the United States Senate election in South Carolina. She assisted him in subsequent campaigns, and discussed her childhood during the 2014 and 2026 Senate races. Graham supported her brother's campaign for president of the United States in the 2016 election, introducing him in his first campaign speech.
U.S. Senate (2026–present)
Appointment
On July 13, 2026, South Carolina governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham to fill her brother's vacant Senate seat. President Donald Trump endorsed her the same day. Graham was sworn in on July 14, becoming the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate and the first sister to replace a sibling in the Senate.
2026 election and debates
President Trump publicly encouraged Graham on July 17 to run in the 2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina and promised to endorse her if she did. Graham told Sean Hannity three days later that she intended to run for a full term. Graham came in first in the special primary election on August 11, advancing to a runoff with Ralph Norman. On August 25, Graham won the runoff, advancing to the general election against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, Constitution Party nominee Mark Hackett, Libertarian Party nominee Kasie Whitener, and write-in candidate Catherine Fleming Bruce.
Graham attacked Andrews on October 29, 2026, in a public appearance saying, “Like they say out in the country, she’s just plain old bat shit crazy.”
Going in to the general election, a majority of polls found her to be within the margin of error or slightly behind Andrews, but she remained a moderate favorite due to South Carolina's partisan lean and a tradition of straight ticket voting. However, she was ultimately defeated by Andrews in an upset.
Tenure
On July 16, Graham introduced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, legislation to impose sanctions on Russia. It is based on the Sanctioning Russia Act, a bill Lindsey Graham authored and supported, and had bipartisan support. It passed the Senate in August and passed in the House in mid-September with bipartisan support. President Trump signed it into law two days later.
Graham voted to confirm Todd Blanche as United States Attorney General.
Committee assignments
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Committee on the Budget
Committee on Environment and Public Works
Committee on the Judiciary
Personal life
Graham was married to Terry Lee Boggs until 2003; they have a daughter. Graham married Larry Nordone circa 2006; they also have a daughter. They live in Lexington, South Carolina.
See also
Women in the United States Senate
External links
Senator Darline Graham official U.S. Senate website
Darline Graham for Senate official campaign website
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
Profile at Vote Smart
Appearances on C-SPAN
