South Carolina’s New U.S. Senator Is an Alumna of a HBCU

Darline Graham Nordone, sister of Lindsey Graham, is ceremonially sworn in as a US Senator by Senator Charles Grassley, Republican from Iowa, (out of frame) in the Old Senate Chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 14, 2026. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster on July 13 appointed the late Republican senator Lindsey Graham's younger sister to complete his term, hours after President Donald Trump publicly urged him to choose her. Darline Graham Nordone will serve in the US Senate until Graham's term expires in January, following his unexpected death at the weekend at the age of 71. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

Lindsey Graham, the four-term U.S. Senator from South Carolina, died on July 11. A staunch conservative and an ally of President Trump, Senator Graham was a strong supporter of the state’s historically Black colleges and universities.

In a statement, Said Sewell, president of Morris College, wrote: “Over the course of his career, he showed a steady commitment to historically Black colleges and universities by supporting federal investments that helped expand educational opportunities and protected the legacy of these institutions.”

Alexander Conyers, president of South Carolina State University added that “Senator Graham understood that higher education is an investment in South Carolina’s future, creating opportunities, strengthening the workforce, and preparing the next generation of leaders.”

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has appointed Darline Graham Nordone, Lindsey Graham’s sister, to fill out the remainder of her brother’s term. Nordone is a graduate of the University of Charleston, where she majored in sociology. She earned a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from historically Black South Carolina State University in 2009. Nordone is the first woman from South Carolina to serve in the U.S. Senate.

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