South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, to fill his vacant Senate seat. The appointment came after President Donald Trump pushed for her selection, and follows Graham's sudden death from an aortic dissection, a move seen as part of Republican efforts to shore up their narrow Senate majority.

McMaster, a close ally of Trump, announced the decision on Monday afternoon, just under 48 hours after Graham's death. Nordone becomes an interim replacement for her brother, the longtime South Carolina lawmaker, as the Senate returns to a packed agenda with a reduced Republican margin following his death.