By admin 
As a U.S. Senate candidate, Republican Darline Graham told potential voters and reporters she understands working class South Carolinians’ struggles with rising costs.
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Graham says she looks for buy one, get one free deals at the grocery store, and she shopped for new shoes on the clearance rack when she first was appointed to the U.S. Senate.
“I’ve struggled for several years, just like everyone else does, so I’m more about the affordability because I know how it feels to have to work paycheck to paycheck,” Graham told reporters Aug. 10.
How much money Graham’s household made, and paid in federal and tax income tax, was made available to The State newspaper in early October.
Her campaign showed The State five years of Graham’s state and federal tax returns from 2021 to 2025. An identical email request was made to Graham and Democratic challenger Annie Andrews on Sept. 14. Andrews’ tax returns were also sent to The State.
Graham’s household income generally rose most years, according to the forms provided by her campaign. The household reported about $135,000 in adjusted gross income in 2021 and $177,856 in 2025.
Graham had filed jointly with her husband, Larry Nordone, since at least 2021. The couple claim their daughter, who turned 18 in September, as a dependent.
Graham became a U.S. senator after her brother, Lindsey Graham, died suddenly July 11. She was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster to finish out his term, which ends in January 2027.
Now, Graham is competing for a full, six-year term against Andrews, Libertarian Kasie Whitener and Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett.
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Graham never held elected office before her appointment. She previously led the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, beginning in 2019. When she stepped down from the agency in July, Graham drew a $160,080 salary.
Her salary was raised by the S.C. Agency Head Salary Commission in June from $138,000.
Each year, Graham’s occupation is listed on the tax returns as “state agency head” and Nordone’s as “sales account manager.” A campaign official said Nordone was employed by Birchwood Trading, LLC.
What else do Graham’s tax returns show?
Tax returns can also offer more information about who Graham claimed as a dependent, business profits and how much the family invested in a college fund.
The household received state and federal child tax exemptions every year for one dependent.
They also reported contributions to the S.C. College Investment Program or the S.C. Tuition Prepayment Program.
While questions about the junior senator’s last name were raised ahead of the primary, she is listed as “Darline Graham” on five years of tax returns, without “Nordone.”
From 2023 to 2025, Graham’s husband reported business income on federal tax forms. Nordone’s business income was listed as:
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