Darline Graham Nordone will serve temporarily following her brother's death at the age of 71.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster made the appointment, and Graham Nordone was sworn in Tuesday.
Some people like it. Others have concerns.
In a video on social media, legal expert and radio host Jenna Ellis said that a United States Senate seat is a public trust, not a private family trust.
"I've seen people saying on social media, well, it's only six months. What's the big deal if Gov. McMaster appoints Lindsey Graham's sister to finish his term? Isn't this a great memorial? Well, the problem isn't just the length of the appointment, it's the principle. For conservatives, it's always the principle."
Ellis went on to say that a Senate seat doesn't belong to a politician or a political family. It belongs to the people of the state that the senator is supposed to represent.
"To be fair, this isn't unprecedented. Throughout American history, governors have occasionally appointed the wives or other relatives of senators and other political offices to fill vacant seats, often after that person died in office. But precedent doesn't equal principle. Many of those appointments were viewed as temporary caretakers, symbolic gestures, and whether they were politically accepted at the time or not doesn't mean they were the right approach. In my view, they weren't. A Senate seat should never be treated as something that quote unquote stays in the family."
According to Ellis, every appointment should be based on merit and the state's needs, not bloodlines or political legacy. That, she said, matters even more today.
“The United States Senate isn't taking a six-month vacation. It will be confirming judges, debating legislation, and conducting oversight of the executive branch, making decisions on spending. Every vote matters, and every day matters. So, we cannot afford to waste six months on what amounts to a memorial appointment."
If a governor is going to exercise the "extraordinary power of appointing a United States Senator," Ellis stressed that the person should be chosen because he or she is the best qualified individual to represent the people of that state from day one, not because of a last name or family connection or just because the appointment is temporary.
"Public office is not hereditary, it's not an inheritance, and it isn't a family heirloom. A Senate seat is a public trust entrusted by the people to someone who will faithfully represent them. And that's exactly how every appointment should be made."
