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Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is drawing backlash from some conservatives for seeking out a full U.S. Senate term of her own after finishing out the remainder of her brother's term.
After being appointed by Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster as interim senator to fulfill the rest of her late brother's term through early 2027, Nordone announced during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday night that she intends to run for the full term in the special Republican primary on Aug. 11.
Following Lindsey Graham's death from cardiac issues earlier this month, President Donald Trump has endorsed Darline, despite her lack of elected office experience and limited public record on political issues.
"I have been praying a lot, talking to my family ... I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it. Will it be difficult? Yes. Absolutely," Nordone told Hannity, acknowledging the "tremendous amount of pressure" regarding her decision to participate in the primary, for which the deadline for filing is July 28.
"I've made a decision: I'm in," she said.
Nordone's intention to remain in her brother's seat prompted criticism from some conservatives, who accused the arrangement of exhibiting nepotism antithetical to the democratic principles of the American political system. Some also noted that she has dropped her married name.
"Just say no to birthright senatorship," said Federalist CEO Sean Davis.
"This is one of the most insane interviews I've ever seen," said Dan Bostic, a former staff assistant for Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., when he was a member of Congress. "A woman who has virtually no qualifications, no public stance on any major issue, and is almost entirely unknown — is mourning her [brother's] death by saying that she is called to take his job? Completely bonkers."
"Trump continues to fill the Swamp with the worst congressional creatures, including his predictable endorsement of Darline Graham," posted former Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., and former chair of the House Freedom Caucus. "Are there worse criteria than 1) family name, and 2) pledged unconditional and unconstitutional allegiance and obedience to the president?"
"What qualifications does Darline Graham have? 'I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it,'" conservative attorney Jenna Ellis posted, along with an eye-rolling emoji. "Say no to nepotism and entitlement, South Carolina."
CJ Westfall, who serves as chair of the Dorchester County GOP in South Carolina, suggested to Politico that Trump endorsing Nordone to run in the primary is damaging the goodwill that her initial appointment had among Republicans in the state.
"Even folks that didn't like Senator [Lindsey] Graham or didn't vote for him in the primary were pretty happy about the appointment, as a tribute to Senator Graham," Westfall told the outlet. "But once we saw the president jump in and support her, 95 percent are saying, 'What the hell are we doing here? We don't know how she votes. We don't know what she believes.'"
"People that were excited about the appointment are now skeptical of the endorsement," he added.
"South Carolina, this is exactly what we are fighting against. Nepotism is a ticking time bomb. This place sitter is a terrible candidate, [Trump]. Get out of your feels," said Thomas D. Murphy, a retired U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman who ran against Lindsey Graham in South Carolina's Republican primary earlier this year.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald said, "It didn't take Lindsey Graham's sister very long to go from 'thank you for this placeholder appointment to honor my brother until an election can be held' to 'you know what? I kind of like sitting in this Senate seat. Like a lot. I think I'll stay for life, like my brother did.'"
Greenwald, who is ethnically Jewish but has been a fierce critic of the Israeli government and Graham's staunch pro-Israel foreign policy, was also earlier critical of Nordone's initial appointment.
"Following Lord Lindsey's passing, Darline, Duchess of Charleston, ascended the High Chamber: crowned Baroness of the Palmetto Seat. Her brother's fiefdom and noble lineage are preserved. Long live the House of Graham and DEI! Aristocrats celebrate in Alexandria and Tel-Aviv," Greenwald posted to X on July 14.
Nordone's campaign has maintained that she is well-qualified "because she has real experience leading," according to Politico.
"As to why she is running, it's quite simple: she is a strong conservative who wants to build upon her brother's legacy. There were never any conversations surrounding her appointment that were contingent upon serving only the remainder of Senator Lindsey Graham's term," Abby Zilch, a spokesperson for Nordone's campaign, said in a statement to the outlet.
