South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, to serve the remainder of his U.S. Senate term following the veteran lawmaker’s sudden death.

Henry McMaster has appointed Darline Graham Nordone to complete the U.S. Senate term of her late brother, Lindsey Graham, who died unexpectedly over the weekend at the age of 71.

The announcement was made at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, shortly after Donald Trump publicly endorsed Graham Nordone to fill the vacant Senate seat.

She is expected to be sworn into office on Tuesday and will serve until January 2027, when a successor elected by South Carolina voters is scheduled to take office.

Although Graham Nordone has never held elected office, she has long been regarded as one of Lindsey Graham’s closest advisers and confidantes. A mother of two, she frequently appeared alongside her brother during election campaigns and played a visible role in his political career.

During Lindsey Graham’s 2015 presidential campaign, the lifelong bachelor often joked that his sister would serve as “first lady” if he were elected president, highlighting their close personal relationship.

Governor McMaster said the appointment would ensure continuity in South Carolina’s representation in the Senate while honoring Graham’s decades of public service.

Lindsey Graham served in the U.S. Senate since 2003 and was widely recognized as one of the Republican Party’s leading voices on national security, foreign policy and judicial affairs. His sudden passing prompted tributes from political leaders across the United States and abroad.