The United States Senate got a new member on Monday, and for once the story behind the swearing-in is more compelling than anything that will probably happen on the chamber floor this week. As USA Journal reported, Darline Graham Nordone walked into the Senate chamber flanked by Majority Leader John Thune and Senator Katie Britt, stood at the desk where her brother Lindsey Graham served for twenty-four years, and took the oath of office from President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley. South Carolina now has its first female senator. She is the 2,020th senator in American history. And her road to that desk is the kind of story that makes even the most cynical political observers shut up for a second.
The quick version: when Darline was 13, both of her parents died in rapid succession. Lindsey was 22. He adopted her and raised her as his own daughter. That is not a metaphor or a campaign trail embellishment. He literally raised his little sister because there was nobody else. The two of them held that bond together for nearly fifty years.
So when Darline addressed the chamber before her swearing-in, she did what you would expect from someone who is not a career politician and has apparently never learned how to be fake about anything. She acknowledged the privilege of finishing her brother's work. She promised to support the President and carry forward Lindsey's efforts for South Carolina and the nation. And then she spoke directly to her late brother.
"Now to Lindsey: I miss you more than I can even put into words. But I'm gonna do this. I got it."
Three words. If those three words do not get you at least a little bit, you might want to check whether you still have a pulse.
Nordone is 62 years old. She holds a bachelor's degree from the College of Charleston and a master's in rehabilitation counseling. She has spent decades advocating for people with disabilities. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She is not someone who spent her life angling for a Senate seat, which honestly might be the most refreshing thing about this entire situation.
Her term is short. It ends January 3, 2027, and she has not announced any plans to run for a full term. What she does have is a Senate Republican majority that needs every single vote it can get, and a very specific piece of unfinished business sitting on the calendar.
The SAVE America Act, which was Lindsey Graham's last legislative push before he died, is headed for a vote this week. Senator Darline Graham Nordone will be there to cast that vote. Her brother told her he was going to get it done. She is going to make sure he did.
Washington does not produce a lot of genuinely touching moments. This was one. The Senate staff closed the chamber doors so she could have a private moment at her brother's desk before the ceremony, which is the kind of small gesture that tells you even the people who work in that building every day understood this was different.
She got it.
Read more conservative news commentary at: USA Journal News
