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Senate

Darline Graham? Republicans Don’t Know Her.

Graham decided to run for a full Senate term after being appointed to the seat after her brother’s death, but people are still learning what she stands for.

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., makes her way to a swearing in ceremony in the U.S. Capitol after she was sworn in on the Senate floor on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

Republican senators are still getting to know Sen. Darline Graham, who cast her first votes in the Senate this week after a whirlwind appointment by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. Tom Williams/AP

By Igor Bobic, Al Weaver and Oriana González

July 22, 2026 07:42 p.m.

Darline Graham made it official that she wants to run for a full term to represent South Carolina in the Senate. But unlike her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly earlier this month, few people know where she stands on most issues.

President Donald Trump and top Senate Republicans quickly endorsed Darline Graham to become South Carolina’s next full-term Republican senator. But few Republican lawmakers personally know Graham, who was appointed to the seat just last week.

The low profile could put Graham, a longtime disability advocate who previously served on the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, at a disadvantage, even with Trump’s backing effectively making her the frontrunner in next month’s special election.