I can’t get excited, as some disabled folks seem to be, about Darline Graham, Republican of South Carolina, joining the United States Senate.
Two days after her older brother, Lindsey Graham, died unexpectedly on July 11, Darline was appointed by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster to finish Lindsey’s current Senate term, which ends in January. Shortly after that, she announced her intent to seek another term. On August 11, she finished first in a crowded field of GOP primary candidates, and on August 25 she beat U.S. Representative Ralph Norman in a run-off primary, securing her status as the Republican Party’s nominee in the general election on November 3 where she’ll face off against Democrat Annie Andrew, a pediatrician, in the deeply red state.
In an open letter to the people of her state posted on social media, Graham wrote, “I’ve spent my career helping South Carolinians with disabilities find work and live independently.”
She was likely referring to her work for vocational rehabilitation programs run by the state, as well as her role as head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind from 2019 until her appointment to the Senate. That’s why some folks with disabilities are excited about her being in Washington — because it fills them with hope that she will advance disability issues on Capitol Hill.
But Darline Graham has also made clear that her allegiance is not only to people with disabilities, declaring, “I promise to work hard every day over the next several months to support the President.”
Indeed, the squatter currently occupying the White House has called her “wonderful” and endorsed her every step of the way in her quest to finish out her brother’s term and win another term of her own.
Darline Graham is, after all, still a Republican, a designation that seems to break down to two camps: those who truly believe in what the squatter is doing and those who have determined that it is politically expedient for them to pretend that they believe so. If she also wants to be a Senate champion for disability rights, that will inevitably put her on a collision course with the squatter.
The squatter is widely scorned in the disabled community, and for good reason. One of the many things he has done to earn that scorn was his so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Lindsey Graham strongly supported. It slashed $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) over the course of a decade which could lead to more than 11 million people losing their Medicaid coverage. This causes a lot of dread among disabled folks who depend on Medicaid and fear we all could someday become one of those 11 million people.
What happens when Darline Graham finds herself in a position where she has to butt heads with the squatter in order to accomplish something for people with disabilities? Which side will she sell out? Is there really any doubt?