‘It’s official’: Darline Graham Nordone announces Senate candidacy

Darline Graham Nordone’s official senatorial X account is barely a week old, but pinned to the top of her less than half a dozen posts are the words, “It’s official. I’m running to represent South Carolina in the United States Senate.”

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In three weeks, Nordone’s name will show up on the ballot for the first time, written in using her legal name, Darline Graham, instead of her married name, Darline Nordone, The Associated Press reports. But even before her first campaign has begun, she already holds the Senate title — at least, until January.

Nordone was sworn into office as a U.S. senator for South Carolina on July 14 to fulfill the term of her late brother, former Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died earlier this month.

In just one week, Nordone has gone from filling in the seat to filing to keep it, but a late start and competitive field mean the road to election is anything but smooth.

Who is Darline Graham Nordone?

Nordone, who previously worked with people with disabilities, never held office before being sworn into the Senate last week as the state’s first female senator. Her lack of the title, however, does not mean she is unfamiliar with the work.

Nordone had a close relationship with Graham, and has been by his side through much of his campaign and service, including appearing in some of his campaign ads. Nordone was even by Graham’s side in March when he filed for candidacy for this year’s election, along with her children and grandchildren, according to AP.

Graham and Nordone were very close, especially after Graham assumed the role of Nordone’s legal guardian following the death of both their parents, when Graham was 22 and Nordone was 13.

In an open letter to the citizens of South Carolina written by Nordone after her swearing in, Nordone said she was “not Lindsey” and that she has her “own way of doing things,” but said she and Graham “were raised with the same values: work hard each day, trust in the Lord, remember our roots, and never forget who you work for.”

Nordone isn’t the only one with an eye on the general election

Nordone is far from the only candidate vying to get her name on the November ballot.

The special primary election on Aug. 11 to determine the Republican Senate candidate for South Carolina’s general election has several candidates, including Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, who have both formally announced their candidacy.

President Donald Trump endorsed Fry in his reelection to the U.S. House prior to the South Carolina primary race in early June, referring to Fry as a “MAGA warrior, who has been with us from the very beginning” in a post on social media.

In a recent post, Trump endorsed Nordone for the special primary. Trump said he asked Nordone to run “for the Good of our Nation” and said “there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey.”

“RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Trump added.

Rep. Nancy Mace was another candidate debating the possibility of running, according to people familiar with her thinking that spoke with Politico shortly after Graham’s death, but Mace announced Monday she would not be running because she had “some unfinished business” in her current role.

Some suspect that Lt. Gov Pamela Evette might also run for the open seat. A spokesperson for Evette told Politico that she has received “tons of encouragement” to run, but Evette has not officially announced candidacy.

On the money (or the lack of)

In addition to running against ballot-mates with more seniority, Nordone’s late entry puts her far behind her competitors in terms of fundraising, a disadvantage she acknowledges on her campaign website.

“I’m ready for the fight ahead, and I’m all in to run for the United States Senate. But here’s the thing — I am behind financially‚” Graham said on the site. “My opponents are self-funding millionaires or have spent years building up their campaign war chests, but I’m new to politics,” she added, before asking supporters for donations.

Under federal rules, Lindsey Graham’s campaign cannot transfer more than $2,000 to Nordone, but there may be another way for the funding to find a way to her campaign. There is no limit to what Graham’s campaign could give to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which, under a recent Supreme Court ruling, could spend an almost unlimited amount, AP reports.

The filing period for the special primary opened Tuesday and will close in one week.

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