The sister of US Senator Lindsey Graham will serve as his temporary replacement after the South Carolina lawmaker died from an aortic tear on Saturday.
Darline Graham Nordone was formally chosen by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster on Monday, who introduced her as Graham's "little sister" who would "finish his work for him now".
"It is such an honour. Lindsey has always been there for me and now I will be there for him," Nordone said.
The announcement came after officials including President Donald Trump calling for Nordone to serve as his replacement in a "tribute" to the senator, who never married and had no children.
Graham was close with his sister, who he legally adopted after their parents died while they were young.
McMaster said she would serve out the remainder of Graham's term, which is set to end in 2027.
"Lindsey took care of his little sister," McMaster said. "It's my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to finish his work for him now."
Nordone said she believed "this is what Lindsey would have wanted and I plan to honour him in this way".
90 Comments
Waterpumpee@lemmus.org · 262 pts · 34d
So political offices are inherited now like its some medieval lordship?
SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world · 127 pts · 34d
M'ladybugs.
Angular@crazypeople.online · 7 pts · 34d
Omg! 😂
MimicJar@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 34d
Now? It's a common practice. It's called "Widow's succession". In this case it is Lindsey's sister, but the spirit is the same.
Usually it is someone to just finish out the current term (not running in the election) or until a special election can take place.
UnrepentantAlgebra@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 34d
Hmm "widow's succession" but Graham never married, this is Graham's sister, and they live in the deep south. This would raise a lot more questions if Graham wasn't openly secretly gay.
MimicJar@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 34d
I mean Graham and his sister have a tragic backstory, so I don't think it would raise many questions.
As best I can tell this is the first case of a sibling taking over. There are also fewer recent examples than I thought. I assumed a "window succession" was fairly standard, but it seems it's been 25+ years since it happened last (in the US Senate).
UnrepentantAlgebra@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 33d
Ok yeah, that one's on me, I probably should have read the Wikipedia article a bit more before making my comment.
But the succession thing is weird and this is the first I've heard of it. Sounds like it might only be temporary? Who knows these days.
MimicJar@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 33d
It's usually temporary "until the next election". Some states allow that next election to be the regularly scheduled one (and the term in the Senate is 6 years, so that could be a while), or some states require a special election within X number of days. (And some states don't allow it at all.)
In this case Lindsey Graham's next election is this November, having just won the primary. But I think there is still time for the Republicans to decide on a different candidate.
So, chances are, Graham's sister will be in place through the election in November, and then the term ends in January.
Rothe@piefed.social · 5 pts · 33d
It is common in some commonwealth countries and in countries where their political system is largely based on the UK and its archaic institutions. So UK, Ireland, US and a bunch of ex-colonies and Japan (who adopted a largely US-inspired constitution after WWII).
So common practice within a select group of countries. It is pretty bizarre from the viewpoint of someone not from any of those countries.
cecinestpasunecommunication@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 33d
Also Japan kind of had some similar traditions, from back in feudalism times (during which they had airplanes).
brendansimms@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 33d
after reviewing the wikipedia, it seems that there's usually a special election held - not just an appointment made.
Fandangalo@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 34d
In that state, this is by the rules. Stupid AF, if you ask me.
artyom@piefed.social · 1 pts · 33d
No, she was appointed by the governor.
cecinestpasunecommunication@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 33d
Yep!
trainsrkool@lemmy.ml · -29 pts · 34d
SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world · 30 pts · 34d
Henry McMaster is a republican so what does blueMAGA have to do with anything?
lennybird@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 34d
Lemmy.ml tankie trying really hard to make blue maga stick. It's embarrassing.
TheGoldenV@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 34d
It’s going to get real exciting once the midterms get fucked. Then that last spark of hope dies.
trainsrkool@lemmy.ml · -7 pts · 34d
AbidanYre@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 34d
Laziest "both sides" ever.
CaptDust@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 34d
What is a bluemaga?
SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world · 27 pts · 34d
Something that politically illiterate leftists use to blame all their problems on.
brendansimms@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 33d
BlueMaga is when someones is like: "Yes I'm a progressive leftist - I can't wait to vote for president Gavin Newsom!"
trainsrkool@lemmy.ml · -29 pts · 34d
The fake leftists of america, america only has capitalists
fyzzlefry@retrolemmy.com · 9 pts · 34d
Classic lemmy.ml
skozzii@lemmy.ca · 69 pts · 34d
So is this them trying to normalize family succession so Trump can simply appoint his family in the future, and have some sort of precedent to refer to?
Nastybutler@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 34d
Did you read the end of the article? It mentions that it's been done over 40 times in Congress, but with spouses, not siblings
Rothe@piefed.social · 13 pts · 33d
That doesn't make it less bizarre and non-democratic.
cecinestpasunecommunication@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 12 pts · 33d
Still not okay.
JasonDJ@lemmy.zip · 12 pts · 34d
He never married...
AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 33d
Oh, well if it had only been done 39 times then we'd have a serious problem but I guess that arbitrary number makes it ok
cecinestpasunecommunication@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 33d
Yep!
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca · 65 pts · 34d
Does the US not have special elections?
You guys are just full on monarchy now?
cowfodder@lemmy.zip · 42 pts · 34d
Depends on the state. South Carolina law just has the governor appoint a replacement for the rest of the term.
expatriado@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 34d
this time both happen to be from the party, but this rule may get interesting if implemented in purple states
LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 34d
A quick search showed 46 states allow a temp placement by the government, 4 states don't. Kentucky, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
Kentucky being the state that people were just wondering of McConnell had died.
obviouspornalt@fedinsfw.app · 7 pts · 34d
the rule was very recently changed in Kentucky by GOP legislature given that KY currently has a democratic governor and McConnell is 137 years old.
LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 34d
April 2024 is what I saw when I did a quick search, didn't know that.
McConnell starting having his health issues around 1 year before... Fast results for Kentucky
dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 34d
Recall that Rod Blagojevich got in serious trouble because he basically offered to sell Obama’s senate seat.
LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 34d
Nah I had to look him up, I wasnt from Illinois. But it appears he was a Democrat trying to sell a the Senate seat, Illinois impeached him, the feds then convicted him to 14 years prison, where he sat until 2020 and Trump cummuted his sentence do to him supporting Trump's campaign. Thn when Trump got into office in 2025, pardoned the previous convictions once again for supporting him.
Apparently Blagojevich described himself as a Trumpocrat.
Possibly worth noting Blagojevich appeared on Celebrity Apprentice with Trump.
So he attempted to sell a Senate seat to anyone for money or employment, and he became employed with the next president who commuted and pardoned his convictions of trying to sell the Senate seat.
Sheesh
kurmudgeon@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 34d
South Carolina is fundamentally a very corrupt state from the highest to the lowest levels. Just look at the Murdaugh family. How the fuck does a family have that much power and influence over a community in the 21st century? So the governor just appointing the next senator doesn't surprise me in the slightest. They don't raise the brightest in South Carolina, that's for sure.
santa@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 34d
I believe it is temporary until special election is held and determines full-time replacement.
ryper@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 34d
Graham was up for reelection this year and she's going to serve the rest of his term, so I think in this case it's until the regular election.
bdonvr@thelemmy.club · 2 pts · 34d
They do, but they still appoint a replacement until then.
There should be a special election but the time served will be pretty short.
Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca · 55 pts · 34d
"chosen" as replacement? Who the fuck chose? It definitely wasn't the American public.
M0oP0o@mander.xyz · 19 pts · 33d
Nice "democracy" yous got there....
cecinestpasunecommunication@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 0 pts · 33d
Who?
cecinestpasunecommunication@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 11 pts · 33d
No. It says who chose.
anarchy79@lemmy.world · 54 pts · 34d
Ah yes, this is how democracy works!
altphoto@lemmy.today · 11 pts · 34d
Long live the quee...whait what? Public offices are not passed down to the younger generation!!!!! It's a public office! It's not like being president.... just Kennedys, trumps, bushes and Clinton's!
Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk · 33 pts · 33d
Trump is reading this and thinking
"Does this mean I can just quit and pass the office down to my sons?"
And he'll fucking try it.
Catma@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 33d
Not a snowball chance in Hades he tries it. Trump is if nothing more a complete narcissist.
Stepping down after his "bigly" win in 2024 would be seen as failing, and he cannot fail. He can only be failed. I do not think if he makes it to 2028 he is leaving in anything short of handcuffs or a body bag.
zebidiah@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 33d
and there is exactly 0% chance he will leave in handcuffs.....
BigPotato@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 33d
Hey, be the change you want to see in the world. The odds are near zero but they're not zero.
xenomor@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 34d
Is his little sister also a self-loathing hypocrite that desperate to kill, displace and impoverish as many people as possible?
Does she have the ladybugs too?
santa@sh.itjust.works · 15 pts · 34d
He adopted his sister?!
runner_g@piefed.blahaj.zone · 7 pts · 34d
If he was over 18 and she was under 18 when their parents' died, then it would make sense. You don't want to see your younger sibling get whisked away into foster care if you can be the caregiver.
ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 34d
That's exactly what happened. She was in her early teens and he was in college when both their parents died, within like a year or two of each other. He became her guardian and then later, when he was in the military, he officially adopted her so that she would receive his military benefits.
They've both talked about it, especially for that five minutes in 2016 when he was making a run at the Republican nomination for president himself. Of all the nefarious shit Lindsey Graham has done, this is not it.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 34d
Supposedly that's why he never married....
santa@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 34d
Wow. Things be different in da Carolinas…. Reminds me of the song “I am my own grandpa.”
watson387@sopuli.xyz · 17 pts · 34d
Sister wife
I love you twice
Once as a sibling
Once as a wife
Steve@startrek.website · 15 pts · 34d
I was sure this was satire
andrewmsc@thelemmy.club · 3 pts · 33d
it sounds like the plot to an 80's movie when we find out at the end the sister was him all along
WanderWisley@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 33d
Ah yes the ol royal succession I see here…
its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 14 pts · 34d
I just feel bad for all those gay men he was paying to have sex with. Now what will they do?
lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 34d
Spill that tea is what they’ll do. Book some poscasts
TheCriticalMember@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 34d
POScasts. Excellent typo.
Thebeardedsinglemalt@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 34d
And let me guess, he was hardcore anti-DEI aka Didn't Earn It, yet his little sister is handed the job despite numerous other better qualified individuals
sunsofold@lemmy.zip · 13 pts · 33d
If we're going to do this 'democracy' thing, we need a law that says once you hold public office, anyone a single step away from you in your family tree is barred from holding office. We have enough qualified people we should not have anything that even smells like a dynasty.
Maiq@piefed.social · 11 pts · 34d
First presser and it's just Lindsey in a miniskirt, heels and pigtails.
SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world · 6 pts · 34d
desmosthenes@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 34d
fucking nepotism man; whatever happened to “merit”
III@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 34d
It is a merit based system. They just didn't tell you that "merit" = dollars and you start life with extra "merit" depending on what family you are born to.
KulunkelBoom@lemmus.org · 10 pts · 34d
So who's replacing the dead turtle?
ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 33d
Massie if they can't fake his death long enough. Israel doesn't want that, hence the reason for AI slop pics to convince the public that he's still alive (my opinion).
Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 33d
They'll make a ridiculous claim that Barron is actually Mitch's son and install him as the new Dear Leader
Flying_Lynx@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 34d
What is nepotism?
deegeese@sopuli.xyz · 8 pts · 34d
It was too short notice to replace the “Lady Graham” monogram on his desk so they went with the easy option.
tanisnikana@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 34d
Did we not flee the tyranny of hereditary people with power to make this nation‽‽‽
Rothe@piefed.social · 2 pts · 33d
Should probably have based less of your constitution on archaic UK practices then.
tanisnikana@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 33d
I told Ben Franklin and George Washington and all those guys to think about what life would be like in the future, but Ben just thought about tits and the women behind them, and George couldn't tell a lie, and he told me he was thinking about how to get Ben back on topic.
Needless to say, this country was doomed from its inception.
Doomsider@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 33d
We should leave this country to form a new country without the tyranny of hereditary rule.
This will take time of course, and during this time of transition Tanisnikana will rule along with their family. Luckily they are of the highest moral character and beyond corruption so they will be sure to usher an era of no more hereditary rule in the still to be determined future!
tanisnikana@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 33d
It's weird seeing my name with the first and last names mashed together like that.
But yeah, I can't be trusted to run a government, I can barely get my dishes done. I make pretty pictures, I don't tell others what to do from a podium.
Arcanepotato@crazypeople.online · 6 pts · 34d
What in tarnation
GutterRat42@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 34d
Is she also in the closet?
M0oP0o@mander.xyz · 2 pts · 33d
Likely narnia levels, but I am very sure that will be a very minor issue to what she will do as a newly not elected official.
nanometer1625@thelemmy.club · 4 pts · 34d
After Trump, the bar to be a Republican official is so low that it's somewhere in the Mariana Trench.
thefluffiest@feddit.nl · 3 pts · 34d
Gotta keep the gravy train running
ruuster13@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 34d
How is her name not Darin or Daniel?
anarchy79@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 34d
There is 0% chance this is legal.
StupidBrotherInLaw@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 34d
Oddly, the American party of small government (or law and order? Which is it now?) seems not to care. The US is cooked.
RedAggroBest@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 33d
Not every state constitution has it become a special election
tigermountain@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 34d