Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday to serve out the remainder of her older brother’s Senate term through January 2027.

McMaster, a Republican, announced his decision to appoint Graham’s sister to fill the vacancy caused by his sudden passing over the weekend at a press conference from the Statehouse in Columbia, S.C., alongside Nordone and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), a close ally of both Graham and President Donald Trump. 

After hailing Graham, who had been running for a fifth Senate term in November, as “one of South Carolina’s greatest sons,” McMaster explained that he was selecting Nordone to succeed him because he wanted the work that Graham started to be completed by the sister he adored.

“Lindsey took care of his little sister in years long departed,” McMaster said. “It is my honor to ask his little sister, Darlene Graham, to finish his work for him now.”

A source familiar told Jewish Insider that Nordone, who now uses her married name, will be sworn in at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

In brief remarks, Nordone thanked those who had reached out with well wishes or to share memories and funny stories about Graham before expressing gratitude to McMaster for appointing her to fill her brother’s Senate seat.

“Lindsey has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him,” Nordone said. “I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted, and I plan to honor him in this way. Now, to Lindsey, I miss you more than I can ever put into words, but I’m going to do this. I got it.”

Republicans expect Nordone to serve as a caretaker for her brother’s seat for the remainder of the year. Among the top contenders for the upcoming special election for the full six-year term include Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC), a close ally of Trump’s, and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who unsuccessfully ran for governor this year with Trump’s endorsement.  

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who has publicly expressed interest in the seat after finishing fifth in last month’s gubernatorial primary, and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) are also prospective candidates. A special election candidate filing period is scheduled to begin July 21, and will last for a week.

Graham died at 71 on Saturday evening following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness,” which the Washington, D.C., medical examiner’s office, in a preliminary autopsy report, attributed to aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 

Graham and Nordone were raised above a local pool hall and liquor store in Central, S.C. Graham adopted his younger sister when he was 22 and she was 13, after their parents died within 15 months of one another. Graham, who was a senior in college at the time, moved himself and Nordone into a relative’s house and took over raising her, eventually becoming her legal guardian. He joined the Army Reserves, allowing him to stay close to his sister and attend college. 

Nordone remained Graham’s closest confidante throughout his life and was one of the most ardent supporters of his political ambitions, campaigning for him in his House and Senate bids and during his 2016 presidential run. 

Speaking from the press conference on Monday, Nordone described her late brother as “the most amazing person, outstanding leader, and just a genuinely good man. He was kind and considerate and loved by his family dearly.”

Monday’s announcement came hours after Trump publicly declared that Nordone was his preferred choice to represent South Carolina on Graham’s behalf until the conclusion of his Senate term. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social of the idea.

Scott and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) also voiced support for Trump’s suggestion to appoint Nordone in the hours before the official announcement.

McMaster said on Monday he had asked Nordone to serve out the remaining six months of Graham’s term after the senator’s passing was announced early Sunday morning, prior to consulting the president.

“After we spoke on the phone in the wee hours of Sunday morning, you agreed to serve through tears. Earlier, I had wondered what you would say, and I was humbled by your quickness to see the duty that you had to serve,” McMaster told Nordone from the podium. “I called the president afterwards and he thought it was a great idea, and I’m sure everyone here does as well.”

Scott, who a source familiar confirmed to JI had “spoken multiple times with Darline in the last 24 hours” leading up to her appointment, did not speak at the press conference, though he said in a post on X that “The appointment of Darline Graham Nordone to the U.S. Senate is an incredible way to honor the legacy of Lindsey Graham.”

“Nobody understands Lindsey Graham’s heart for faith, family, and South Carolina the way she does,” Scott wrote. “I look forward to working alongside her to continue Sen. Graham’s commitment to keeping Americans safe and secure.”

Others that were reportedly under consideration for the role in the event that Nordone turned down the appointment included former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), a close friend of Scott’s from their time in Congress who now hosts a Fox News program; former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), Scott’s predecessor in the Senate who has led several conservative organizations including the Heritage Foundation and the Conservative Partnership Institute; and Evette, who lost the state’s gubernatorial GOP primary in a runoff last month. 

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), who was also reportedly floated as a possible appointment option, said on Sunday that he was committed to staying in the House to protect Republicans’ slim majority in the lower chamber.