Darline Graham was appointed this week to fill the remainder of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham's term, which ends in January 2027. She has worked in vocational rehabilitation and public programs that help people with disabilities obtain employment. She has never held elected office. Colleagues and disability advocates say she is a dedicated civil servant who avoids the spotlight and possesses extensive knowledge of disability issues. They note her involvement in the 2022 South Carolina law that ended subminimum wage for people with disabilities, which passed unanimously in the state Senate and House. Graham has served as head of the state Commission for the Blind since 2019, overseeing employment and training programs for the blind and visually impaired. David Houck, executive director of the Federation Center of the Blind, said her experience gives the blind community useful connections. The appointment occurs amid proposals to cut Medicaid funding and to move special education oversight from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services, changes that could affect disability services. Graham said she will work to support the president and continue her brother’s efforts for South Carolina and the United States. She contributed $100 to Katrina Shealy’s 2020 Senate re‑election campaign, the only political donation she has made since 1990. She will serve until the 2026 election, when a full term will be decided.