Senator Graham Nordone Defends Blind Agency Record Amid DEI Attack Ads

Darline Graham Nordone, a Republican appointed to complete her brother Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat, is facing criticism from primary rival Russell Fry, who claims she fostered a DEI agenda at the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. Graham Nordone, who led the agency for seven years, argues that her focus on job placement for blind individuals is unrelated to diversity initiatives and highlights the fiscal benefits of her program.

Fry’s campaign circulated a digital advertisement and a document suggesting the agency began a “culture of diversity and inclusion” after she arrived in 2019. At a recent event, Graham Nordone dismissed DEI support and labeled the attacks “disgusting,” while Senator Tim Scott denounced the ad as “terrible.” The controversy comes as the special Senate primary approaches, featuring nine Republicans, including Ralph Norman and former Governor Mark Sanford, with the winner set to challenge Democrat Annie Andrews in the November election.