Darline Graham
About
Based in Lexington, South Carolina · Age 62
Darline Graham is a Republican U.S. Senator from South Carolina, appointed in July 2026 to fill the seat of her late brother, Lindsey Graham. She had never held elected office before, instead building a career in vocational rehabilitation and serving as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. Backed by President Donald Trump's endorsement, she led the 10-candidate August 11 special primary and faces Rep. Ralph Norman in the August 25 Republican runoff.
Bachelor of Science in Sociology, College of Charleston (1989)
Master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, South Carolina State University, a historically Black university (2009)
Public information director for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department (by 2015)
Commissioner and agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind (2019-2026)
Never held elected office prior to Senate appointment
First woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate
First graduate of a historically Black college or university to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate
Where they stand
Trump
Casts entering politics as answering Trump's call rather than personal ambition: 'I never expected to be on this stage... I've never had any desire to be a politician. I'm here today because I'm answering President Trump's call to serve. I want to stand up for South Carolina, and I want to fight for President Trump's agenda.'
Federal Spending and the National Debt
Cites her time leading the SC Commission for the Blind — an agency she describes as having 10 offices, more than 130 employees, and a $90 million budget — as a model for the federal budget: 'What do we need? What is wasteful? Where can we do more with less?' Says the government should budget like a family that cannot spend money it doesn't have.
Voting Rules and Election Eligibility
Supports ending the Senate filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act, breaking with her late brother and predecessor's opposition to that change: 'this is where I differ from my brother — getting rid of the filibuster to get this done, because eventually the Democrats are gonna get rid of it anyway.'
Support
Money
$347K
raised
$251K cash
cash on hand
Outside money: $13K supporting
Events & record
Others running for U.S. Senator
