Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee who oversees Savannah River Site in his state, died suddenly Saturday, Graham’s office said Sunday.
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” Graham’s office said in a statement early Sunday. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”
At 71, Graham was a stalwart ally of President Donald Trump’s, and his death endangers the narrow GOP majority in the Senate, which was 53-47.
A Senator since 2002, Graham was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He frequently advocated for Savannah River’s nuclear missions, including recently when he criticized the Department of Energy’s decision to reprogram and redirect funding intended for Savannah River Site toward the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s pit production program in New Mexico.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) Monday appointed Darline Graham Nordone, Graham’s sister, to finish out the late Senator’s term and fill the vacant seat left by his unexpected death Saturday.
“Lindsey Graham recognized the greatness of America, the seriousness of his work, and also the value of human and lighthearted spirit,” McMaster said in a press release. “Today, under the law, it is my duty and honor to name someone to serve in the place of this extraordinary man for the remainder of his term. It is my honor to ask his little sister, Darline, to finish his work.”
“Senator Lindsey Graham’s passing is an immense loss for the state of South Carolina and our nation,” said Mark Whitney, president of Amentum Energy & Environment, a DOE and Department of Defense contractor. “For more than three decades, Senator Graham served as a steadfast champion of the Department of Energy and NNSA’s critical missions, particularly at the Savannah River Site.”
Under South Carolina law, the governor can fill a vacancy in the Senate through appointment until a successor is elected, so Nordone will serve until Graham’s term expires on Jan. 3, 2027. Filing for a special primary election is open July 21 through July 28, 2026, and the special primary will be held Aug. 11, with a runoff Aug. 25 if necessary. The regular, general election will go ahead as scheduled Nov. 3, 2026.
While Nordone has not held office before, she has been Commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, where she worked with blind or vision-impaired South Carolinians to help them with employment and independence, since 2019. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston and a master’s degree there in rehabilitation counseling.
After both of their parents died when Graham was 22 and Nordone was 13, he became her legal guardian and helped raise her, according to an article by outlet WAVY News Monday.