Darline Graham, a longtime advocate for disability rights, is competing against four other candidates in a special Republican Senate primary election to succeed her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, who died last month.
Except for occasional appearances alongside her brother, Ms. Graham, 62, had lived a quiet life with her family in the suburbs of Columbia, S.C., until she decided to run for the Senate. Here are five things to know about her.
1. President Trump endorsed Ms. Graham after a high-stakes meeting in the Oval Office, surprising many in South Carolina who assumed he would endorse Russell Fry, a two-term congressman and loyal ally. The president, uncharacteristically upset by the death of Mr. Graham, told his senior staff in the Oval Office that he liked some candidates who wanted to run, hated others, but loved only one candidate, and that was Ms. Graham.
2. She has said she will govern differently than her brother. Ms. Graham has said she will be more focused on domestic policy than Mr. Graham, who was known primarily as a foreign-policy hawk. She has also sided with Mr. Trump on issues where the president and her brother disagreed. At a debate last week, she said she would get rid of the Senate filibuster, a move that Mr. Graham did not support, and pass a voting restrictions bill called the SAVE America Act that is a top priority of the president’s.
3. She was exceptionally close to Mr. Graham. The siblings formed a tight bond after losing both of their parents in a 15-month stretch when Ms. Graham was 13 and Mr. Graham was 22 years old. Mr. Graham later became his sister’s legal guardian. As the closest living relative of the longtime senator, who never married, Ms. Graham often played the role of political spouse — sharing personal stories about a man largely uncomfortable talking about himself.
4. She is a widely respected advocate for people with disabilities. Ms. Graham dedicated most of her life to helping people with disabilities find jobs, most recently as commissioner of a state agency for blind residents. People who worked with Ms. Graham described her as a skilled relationship-builder who has made a significant impact on behalf of people with disabilities.
5. She is already in the Senate. Gov. Henry McMaster, prodded by Mr. Trump, named Ms. Graham to serve out the remainder of Mr. Graham’s term, making her the state’s first female senator. There was wide support in the state for her interim appointment, but some South Carolina residents and operatives have expressed skepticism that she can win a statewide election against experienced politicians. The president’s first choice for governor in South Carolina, Pamela Evette, lost her election after facing criticism for relying too heavily on his endorsement rather than proving her own strength as a candidate.
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