Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham's sister, sworn in to serve the remainder of Senate term

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Updated on: July 14, 2026 / 2:48 PM EDT

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Washington — Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, was sworn in Tuesday to serve out the remainder of his term in the Senate, following his sudden death over the weekend. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa administered the oath of office on the Senate floor as dozens of senators, from both sides of the aisle, were in attendance and stood to applaud. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner were also in attendance. Graham, who died late Saturday at 71, was not married and did not have a family of his own. He and his sister had a close relationship. The late senator became his sister's legal guardian when she was 13, after their parents died in short succession when Graham was in his early twenties. Darline Graham now becomes the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate.