Darline Graham sworn in as US senator after Lindsey Graham's sudden death, raising questions over Ukraine sanctions bill

A sudden death

Senator Lindsey Graham, a 71-year-old Republican from South Carolina, died late on Saturday, July 11, from what a preliminary medical report described as a tear in his aorta. His death came just a day after his 10th trip to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. During that visit, Graham announced that the White House had agreed to move forward with the Sanctioning Russia Act, a bill he had championed for over a year and that was co-sponsored by 85 of the 100 senators. Graham had long served as a conduit between Kyiv and the Trump administration, often working alongside Democrats to secure military assistance and a critical minerals deal that gave the United States preferential access to Ukrainian projects.

An inexperienced successor

On Monday, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, acting on a public recommendation from President Donald Trump, appointed Darline Graham Nordone, Lindsey Graham's 62-year-old sister, to serve the remaining six months of his term. On Tuesday, she was sworn in by Senate President pro tempore Charles E. Grassley, becoming the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate. Nordone, who has no prior electoral experience and has spent her career in state government, most recently as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, said of her brother:

Lindsey was always there for me, and now I will be there for him.

Trump had urged the governor on Truth Social, writing:

I recommended to Governor Henry McMaster that Darline, the wonderful sister of Lindsey Graham, take the position of interim senator for the great state of South Carolina. It would be a fantastic tribute for Lindsey, who loved her very much!

The rapid appointment ensured Republicans retained a 53–47 majority in the Senate, a critical edge as the chamber navigates a busy legislative calendar.

Ukraine sanctions in doubt

Graham's death immediately raised questions about whether the momentum behind the Sanctioning Russia Act would endure. The bill, stalled for months despite bipartisan backing, had gained traction after Graham brokered the White House deal. Matthew Murray, a former Commerce Department official now teaching at Georgetown and Columbia universities, said Graham "was successful in leading President Trump to pivot in his position toward Ukraine," adding that "the senator's good work here will be self-sustaining and self-executing." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who met with Graham twice in the week before his death, called the loss "deeply saddening." Last week, Trump had also agreed to grant Kyiv a license to manufacture interceptors for the Patriot missile system, signaling a warmer posture toward Ukraine that Graham had helped nurture.

Political calculations

The Senate term expires in January, and a special Republican primary is set for August 11 to choose a candidate for the November midterm elections. Nordone has indicated she will not run in that contest, and the filing period opens July 21. Her appointment, while temporary, carries a symbolic weight: it is the first time a sister has succeeded a brother in the U.S. Senate, and it mirrors the tradition of widows filling vacant seats, though Graham never married and often called his sister his closest family. President Trump, while endorsing Nordone, told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he saw no foul play in Graham's passing, saying he "did not see a lot of evil in his passing." The senator's body was returned to South Carolina, and tributes poured in from both parties, with senators lining up to shake Nordone's hand after her oath.