January 1, Graham’s Sister Steps Into Senate as GOP Power Vacuum Opens in South Carolina

Wyatt’s Take

• Lindsey Graham’s sudden passing at 71 leaves a major hole in the Senate GOP leadership and sets up a heated primary battle for his seat
• South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister Darline to finish the term — a political newcomer who Graham raised after their parents died
• Three House Republicans are already lining up for the special election, and Trump’s endorsement will decide who wins the seat in November

The call came at 2:35 in the morning Sunday. Those calls are never good news.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was dead at 71. The South Carolina Republican, who rose from small-town roots to become one of the GOP’s most influential voices on defense and foreign policy, was gone.

Graham’s death shocked Washington. Many assumed any overnight call would be about former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has been hospitalized for weeks with an undisclosed illness.

But it was Graham. And now his kid sister is taking his place.

Gov. Henry McMaster (R) quickly moved to appoint Darline Graham to finish her brother’s term through January. Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL) and Tim Scott (R-SC) both pushed for the appointment, and President Trump signed off.

“It’s my honor to ask his sister to finish his work now,” McMaster said.

Darline Graham has zero political experience. Lindsey Graham adopted her after their parents died when she was a teenager.

“Lindsey has always been there for me. And now I will be there for him,” the new senator said.

The appointment solves a major problem for Republicans. Picking one of South Carolina’s House members would have shrunk the GOP’s already razor-thin majority in the House, since the Constitution bars appointments to fill vacant House seats.

That would have forced a months-long special election process while Republicans tried to govern with one less vote. Appointing Darline Graham keeps the House delegation intact.

But the real fight is just beginning. South Carolina will hold a snap primary in mid-August to pick a Republican nominee for the full term.

Reps. Russell Fry (R-SC), Nancy Mace (R-SC), and Ralph Norman (R-SC) are all interested in running. President Trump has already singled out Fry as his preferred candidate, and his endorsement will carry enormous weight.

The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. Graham had just secured the Republican nomination for a fifth term last month.

This fall will mark the first time since the mid-1950s that either Lindsey Graham or legendary Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC) won’t be on the ballot in South Carolina. That’s the end of an era.

The Senate met Monday afternoon for the first time since Graham’s passing. His desk was draped in a black cloak with white roses on top — a symbol of mourning and new beginnings.

“Lord, we remember with gratitude his commitment to the responsibilities entrusted to him and the many ways he sought to serve the people of this country. Give comfort, strength and peace to his family, friends, colleagues and all who mourn his passing,” Senate Chaplain Barry Black prayed.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) fought back tears on the Senate floor Tuesday.

“The halls of the Senate already feel empty without him,” Thune said.

Well wishers left notecards and flowers outside Graham’s office in the Russell Senate Office Building. Senators from both parties praised his ability to get deals done.

“He didn’t want to just argue about things. He wanted to actually solve things,” Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) said.

Even in his final days, Graham was working. Over the weekend, he appeared to forge a deal on new Russia sanctions tied to the war in Ukraine.

“This could be well, this could well be the end of the war in Ukraine. It could put all the pressure on Russia to finally end their illegal war of aggression,” Sen. Angus King (I-ME) predicted.

Graham first won a seat in Congress in 1994 as part of the “Republican Revolution” — the historic class that flipped control of the House for the first time in 40 years. Graham and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) are the only members from that 1994 class still serving in Congress.

Graham earned a national profile just four years later when House GOP leaders tapped him to serve as one of the House “managers” prosecuting articles of impeachment against President Clinton in the Senate.

“Impeachment is not about punishment,” Graham argued before the Senate in January 1999. “Impeachment is about cleansing the office.”

Three years later, Graham left the House for the Senate. But his colleagues say the institution feels hollow at just 99 members.

“I am comforted by the knowledge that in the end, he has just changed his address. And that one day, Mr. President….” Thune said on the floor, pausing for ten seconds as his voice cracked. “We will laugh together again.”

“Mr. President, I yield the floor,” Thune whispered.

By Tuesday afternoon, Darline Graham became the 2,022nd senator in American history. She’s the first to immediately succeed her brother.

“He always said that his greatest accomplishment was the way that Darline turned out,” Britt said.

“I’m glad that there will be another Sen. Graham and that Darline will serve with us,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said. “That’ll allow for some continuity.”

Graham’s passing leaves a big hole on Capitol Hill. He was a key player on defense, foreign policy, and immigration deals.

“It will be difficult to pass anything without Sen. Graham because he’s been such a significant voice in the Senate,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said.

It’s unclear if Darline Graham will try to fill that role during her brief time in office. She joined her brother’s side when he briefly ran for President in 2015.

She says Lindsey taught her how to ride a bike while growing up.

“He would hold on to the bicycle as I pedaled. And he’d run along beside of me. Give me a big push and shout ‘Keep pedaling! Keep pedaling!'” the new senator said. “And then he was the one who comforted me when I stopped pedaling and fell off the bicycle.”

Today, Darline Graham is hopping back onto that bicycle to finish Lindsey Graham’s term. You can almost hear the late senator, in his upstate South Carolina twang, shouting to his sister: “Keep pedaling! Keep pedaling!”

Why It Matters

Graham’s death reminds us how quickly things can change in Washington. One day you’re negotiating Russia sanctions, the next you’re gone. His sister stepping in to finish the term is a touching tribute, but the real story is what happens next. Trump’s endorsement will decide who wins this seat, and that winner will help shape the Senate GOP for years to come. South Carolina voters deserve a fighter who will stand with Trump and the America First agenda — not another Washington deal-maker.