At the start of her first full week as a United States senator, having been appointed to fill the remaining six-month term of her brother Sen. Lindsey Graham who passed away suddenly two weekends ago, Sen. Darline Graham yesterday sat down with Sean Hannity for her first interview.
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Hannity traveled from his home in South Florida to interview the new senator in South Carolina. A recording of their chat was featured on Hannity’s FOX News program yesterday evening at 9 p.m. EDT.
In addition to describing the shock of her brother’s death, Darline Graham detailed how she was asked to fill the remaining term of her brother. She also made news by confirming that she has decided to campaign for the full, six year term representing South Carolina in the U.S. Senate in this coming November’s elections.
According to her new Wikipedia profile,
In 2019, Graham became commissioner and agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, which administers vocational rehabilitation, independent living, and blindness-prevention programs for South Carolinians who are blind or have low vision.
On July 13, 2026, South Carolina governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham to fill her brother’s vacant senate seat, the same day President Donald Trump endorsed her.
She was sworn in on July 14. She is the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate the first woman to replace her brother in Congress, and the first sibling to replace a deceased senator. Her appointment marks the first time 27 women have served concurrently in the Senate, the highest number in its history. This includes a record high 11 Republican women serving at the same time.
Excerpts from the transcript of Graham’s interview with Sean Hannity follow, courtesy of an email from FOX News Media. Videos of the entire interview can be watched at the following links here and here.
SEAN HANNITY: You know, I recommended to Governor Henry McMaster that Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, you know, to serve as interim senator of the great state of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly.
Talk about when you first heard that idea and what was your initial reaction.
DARLINE GRAHAM: It was a shock because it had never entered my mind that I would be asked that question. So it took me a minute to process it. But like I said, it didn’t take me long to realize that, I had — I felt just this inner calling. It has to be God’s plan. It has to be God’s plan that I had to carry on his legacy.
And, you know, I know how much the people of South Carolina meant to him, serving our country meant to him. And I’ve been serving the people of South Carolina for almost 30 years in my position.
But, you know, I prayed about it. I had support from my family. And like I said earlier, I had an inner peace about it. And it’s just something I knew I had to do. I had to carry on Lindsey’s legacy.
Darline Graham during her interview with Sean Hannity July 20, 2026
Screenshot from video used with permission of FOX News Media
Graham described her meeting in the Oval Office last week with President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Stephen Witkoff.
GRAHAM: I think it went very well. You know, the president was very sincere in his condolences about Lindsey. He talked about him and what a good friend he was, how he considered him family.
And, you know, I told him how much I appreciated all that he had done and, you know, how they had worked together. And then I went on to mention that there were some things that I felt like were very important to Lindsey, Russia’s sanctions, and that I really wanted to push those across the finish line.
Hannity then popped the question to Graham, asking her if she had decided to stand for election to the full six-year term for the U.S. Senate in November’s election, the primary for which is August 11. Last Friday, President Trump had publicly asked her to campaign for the full six year Senate term and he promised his support.
GRAHAM: You know, I don’t know, Sean. I just know that I have to trust that God has a plan. You know, I never wanted this. This was my brother’s life. He worked so hard for the people of South Carolina and our country. And I was so proud of him.
But, you know, if God has put me in this position, I will do it. I will take on the challenge. You know, Lindsey was always there for me, and I feel like now I need to step up and be there for him. . .
I’m in. I’m in. I can’t see it any other way. I just can’t.
I’ve thought and I’ve prayed and I just — he’s worked so hard for so long. I can’t just let that die. I’ve got to step in and carry on his legacy.
I know he cared about the people of South Carolina so deeply. He worked so hard for them. And I feel like I can do that, too. He taught me well. I learned a lot from Lindsey.
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She cited the support from her brother’s Senate staff in making her decision.
GRAHAM: I am so fortunate to have his staff. I mean, they’re bringing me up to speed. They’re right by my side working hard while grieving. It’s been hard on them. So I can’t tell you how much I appreciate them.
HANNITY: You’ve had your own life and success in private. You have been the commissioner of South Carolina’s Commission for the Blind. You’ve held this position since 2019. It’s a 130-person agency, $90 million budget you ran, 10 offices across South Carolina, agency committed to helping individuals that are blind or low vision find employment, support their families, live independently.
The leader in this field, you were elected, you know, as I guess the national upcoming leader of the president of the association, National Association of Agencies for Blind. You have a lot of experience because that’s a serious budget for any one individual . . .
GRAHAM: Very important work, absolutely. And I have worked really hard. When I took over that agency, there were some challenges, to say the least. And in the past seven years, I’m confident to say I turned that agency around. We’re now a national model.
I’m so proud of my executive team and all the staff there that worked so hard to serve individuals who are blind or low vision.
It was a passion of mine, but I have a servant’s heart. You have to have a servant’s heart for a job like that, I think, and I do. It was very important work to me, and I worked very hard at it.
Graham then suggested that as a senator she might place more emphasis on domestic issues than her brother did.
GRAHAM: I would watch him [on television interviews] and I’d be like, “Lindsey, you’re just talking about national security all the time. And I understand that’s important — protecting our borders, national security, absolutely.”
I said, “but, you know, talk about also what matters to the average person. You know, the price of groceries, the price of gas, health care, insurance, those kind of things. That’s what I’m worried about.”
So I think that’s important too.
According to the Washington Post:
Graham will face a competitive Republican primary in South Carolina despite Trump’s endorsement. Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman have also said they will run in the Aug. 11 Republican primary.
“Make no mistake: I will be President Trump’s favorite U.S. Senator, and you will have a MAGA fighter you can count on,” Fry wrote on X.
Another Republican, Rep. Nancy Mace, said Monday that she would not run for the seat.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) described Graham on Monday as “a strong candidate” but stopped short of endorsing her.
“She’s obviously carries on Lindsey’s legacy, but I think she’s a very accomplished person in her own right,” Thune told reporters. “She has a right, like anybody else, to get into that race. It sounds like there are a number who are moving forward with campaigns.”
The filing period opens Tuesday. The primary will go to a runoff Aug. 25 if no candidate wins a majority of the vote.
The winner will face Annie Andrews, a pediatrician who won the Democratic nomination last month.
The Republican nominee will be heavily favored in the deep-red state in November. No Democrat has won a Senate race in South Carolina since 1998.
Veteran journalist Peter Barry Chowka has been a frequent contributor to American Thinker since 2007. Links to his articles, videos, and bio are at peter.media. His X account is @pchowka
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