As attention turns to Darline Graham, the sister of late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, after she won the Republican nomination for his former U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday, interest is also turning to the family members. Graham, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, defeated Representative Ralph Norman in the Republican primary on Tuesday, winning roughly 52 percent of the vote.
Graham is married to Lawrence “Larry” Nordone, who has largely kept a low public profile despite his family's ties to one of South Carolina's most prominent political figures. Newsweek has reached out to Nordone for comment via email on Wednesday. Graham, 62, is Lindsey Graham’s younger sister.
They grew up in the town of Central, South Carolina, where their parents, Millie and F.J. Graham, operated the Sanitary Cafe, a combination restaurant, bar and pool hall. The family lived modestly, at one point residing in a room behind the business.
Their lives changed dramatically when Millie died of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1976, the Post and Courier reported. About 15 months later, F.J. died of a heart attack, leaving Graham, then a college student in his early 20s, responsible for his teen sister. According to the Post and Courier in South Carolina, Graham adopted his sister after joining the Air Force so she could receive military benefits.
He became her legal guardian and helped raise her. Darline Graham has worked as an optician and held positions at several South Carolina state agencies, including the Commission for the Blind and the Department of Employment and Workforce. A resident of Lexington, she graduated from the College of Charleston and earned a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling.
In July, the South Carolina special primary election was held after Lindsey Graham, who had represented the state in the Senate since 2003, died on July 11 from an aortic dissection. He was up for reelection this year and won the party’s nomination in June, so his death required Republicans to select a new candidate. At Trump's recommendation, Republican Governor Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to fill the seat through the end of the current term.
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