Lindsey Graham’s sister is taking his Senate seat. Who is she?

The Republican governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, announced on Monday that Lindsey Graham’s sister would take his seat in the U.S. Senate.

Under state law, McMaster was required to appoint a temporary replacement to serve out the rest of Graham’s term, which ends in January. He chose the late Republican’s younger sibling, Darline Graham Nordone, to take the seat, according to TIME magazine.

Graham died on Saturday of an aortic dissection at the age of 71.

“Today, under the law, it's my duty to and honor to name someone to serve in the place of this irresistible man, this irreplaceable man, this extraordinary man, for the remainder of his term,” McMaster said at a press conference Monday afternoon. “It's my honor to ask his little sister, Darlene Graham, to finish his work for him now.”

Nordone said it was an “honor” to temporarily serve in the seat, and thanked the governor for the appointment.

“I know Lindsey was loved and respected by many, and I greatly appreciate the memories and even the funny stories that have been shared,” Nordone said. “These shared experiences, along with our faith, have gotten us through these past two very difficult days.”

Related: Lindsey Graham, Trump ally who opposed LGBTQ+ rights and consistently denied being gay, dies at 71

Darline Graham Nordone at the July 13 press conference announcing her appointment to Graham's Senate seat.Grant Baldwin/Getty Images

The siblings’ early life in South Carolina

Related: In a viral post, transgender author alleges anti-LGBTQ+ senator Lindsey Graham hired her for sex work

The brother and sister shared a close bond, which Nordone had expressed in previous interviews. In 2015, she told the New York Times that her brother was “kind of like a brother, a father, and a mother rolled into one.”

The two lost their mother to cancer in 1976 and their father to a heart attack just one year later. At the time, Graham was 22, and Nordone was only 13. After their father died, Nordone went to live with relatives in Seneca, South Carolina, while Graham attended the University of South Carolina. After joining the Air Force, Graham became her legal guardian so that Nordone could receive his military benefits.

During Graham’s 2015 presidential campaign, Nordone shared other details about their humble upbringing, noting that their family lived in "not one bedroom, but one room,” which was located behind a bar their parents ran.

“Our mom got cancer and passed away, and about a year and a half later, we lost our dad too. I was just a kid,” Nordone said in a May interview for Graham’s latest Senate campaign for reelection, adding that her brother “grabbed me up and hugged me” following their father’s death.

Related: Lonely Lindsey Graham died tethered to the man who humiliated him

Nordone’s political background

Nordone has never held elected office, and there is little in the public record about her personal political views. However, she has consistently been an avid supporter of Graham's political career and has often been featured in his campaign ads.

According to Nordone’s LinkedIn, prior to her Senate appointment, she was serving as a commissioner for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. She’s also served as the director of public information for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department for several years.

Relationship with Trump and the right wing

Although Graham was once an outspoken critic of Trump when he competed with him for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, he eventually became a dependable ally to him in the Senate. Trump touted Graham as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” and a “true American Patriot” in a Truth Social post on Sunday.

Despite conservatives’ continued attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, speculation about the late senator’s sexuality persisted throughout his life and continued after his death. In addition to decades of rumors that Graham was gay (something he denied), a transgender woman claimed after his death that he had once paid her once paid her to “do unspeakable things to him in a hotel room.”

Trump also expressed support for Nordone's appointment to Graham’s seat and appeared to take credit for the decision. “I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”

In addition to Trump and McMaster, other Republicans voiced their support for Nordone, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Rep. Joe Wilson and Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis.

“After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country,” Scott wrote in a post on X on Monday.

A special primary election is scheduled for next month to select a new Republican nominee for this fall’s general election.