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South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has announced that Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, will finish her brother’s Senate term.

Getting into it: During a news conference at the Statehouse in Columbia, McMaster said the two spoke “in the wee hours of Sunday morning” following Graham’s death, and that Nordone tearfully agreed to take the seat. “Lindsey took care of his little sister in years long departed,” McMaster said. “It’s my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham, to finish his work for him now.”

Nordone, who will be the first woman ever to hold one of South Carolina’s Senate seats, spoke as dozens of Graham staffers stood behind her, some in tears. “Lindsey has always been there for me. And now, I will be there for him,” she said, promising to “work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother.” Addressing her brother directly, she added: “To Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words. But I’m going to do this. I got it.”

The appointment came just hours after President Trump publicly called for the pick, writing Monday morning, “I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!” McMaster said that when he called the president, Trump “thought it was a great idea.” Senator Tim Scott also backed the choice, calling Nordone “a wonderful placeholder.”

For those unfamiliar, Graham never married or had children, and Nordone was the closest family he had. Their parents died within a 15-month stretch when Graham was 22 and she was 13, leaving him to raise her; he eventually became her legal guardian. Nordone, 62, is a mother of two who has worked as an optician and at state agencies including the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, but she’s never held elected office.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Nordone will be sworn in Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET, restoring the Republicans’ 53-47 majority. She’ll serve until January 3 and has given no indication whether she’ll run in the special primary, which is already drawing a crowd.

Potential Republican contenders include Representatives Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, all fresh off losing the gubernatorial primary, plus Representative Russell Fry and former Governor Mark Sanford, while businessman Mark Lynch, the runner-up in that race, has already said he’s running.