Lindsey Graham’s sister will replace him in the Senate after his sudden death

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham to temporarily take his Senate seat following his sudden death last weekend.

Darline Graham Nordone will be sworn into the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, where she’ll serve in the Republican majority for the remaining five months of Mr. Graham’s fourth Senate term.

“Lindsey has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him,” Ms. Nordone said during a press conference in the state capital. “It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work, and I promise to work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States.”

She said that she missed Mr. Graham “more than I can even put into words,” and added, “but I’m going to do this. I’ve got it.”

Ms. Nordone’s selection was considered a remote possibility, but by midafternoon Monday, it became more of a certainty after President Trump made the recommendation on his Truth Social account at about 11:30 a.m. The idea quickly won the approval of South Carolina’s other Republican U.S. senator, Tim Scott, as well as Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

“Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, would be a fantastic pick to serve out the remainder of the Senate term.” Mr. Scott said. “After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country.”

Mr. Trump called Ms. Nordone “wonderful” and said her appointment to the seat “Would be a wonderful tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”

Mr. Graham, 71, died on Saturday night after emergency workers were dispatched to his Capitol Hill home. The D.C. Medical Examiner’s office issued a preliminary finding of “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”

His death has triggered a scramble to replace him on the November ballot.

Mr. Graham had just won the GOP Senate primary and was expected to easily win a fifth term in the deep-red state.

It’s not clear whether Ms. Nordone, 62, will remain a temporary placeholder or if she’ll also run in a special GOP primary slated for August. She has never held public office. The married mother of two has largely lived out of the public eye, so not much is known about her.

The winner would face off against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews.

Republican hopefuls were already lining up on Sunday, including Rep. Russell Fry, who, according to media reports, is backed by Mr. Trump, as well as Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman. Mark Sanford, who served in the U.S. House and as South Carolina governor, may also be interested.

Ms. Nordone, nearly a dozen years younger than Mr. Graham, was raised by her brother after both parents died. Mr. Graham, who never married, became her legal guardian when she was 13. She is his only survivor.

In a 2015 interview on C-SPAN after launching his short-lived presidential campaign, Mr. Graham spoke fondly of his sister and the idea of her serving in public office.

“If she took a role on, she would be a great representative of our country. I can’t think of a better person to represent our country in any event than my sister.”

Ms. Nordone will be the first woman from South Carolina to serve in the U.S. Senate, but not the first to be appointed to replace a family member.

The Senate has a long history of appointing widows to serve in seats vacated by the deaths of their husbands.

The most recent was Jean Carnahan, who in 2001 was appointed to the Senate by Missouri Gov. Roger Wilson to serve in the seat won posthumously by her husband, Mel Carnahan, who had died in a plane crash.