U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister will serve as his temporary replacement after the South Carolina lawmaker died from an aortic tear on Saturday.

Darline Graham Nordone was formally chosen Monday by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who introduced her as Graham’s “dear little sister” who would “finish her work for him now.”

“It’s a great honor. Lindsey has always been there for me and now I’ll be there for him,” Nordone said.

The announcement came after officials, including President Donald Trump, asked Nordone to serve as his replacement in a “tribute” to the senator, who never married and had no children.

Graham was close to his sister, whom he legally adopted after their parents died when they were young.

McMaster said he would serve out the remainder of Graham’s term, which will end in 2027.

“Lindsey took care of her little sister,” McMaster said. “It is my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to finish her work for him now.”

Nordone said he believed “this is what Lindsey would have wanted and I plan to honor him in this way.”

Graham died over the weekend due to an “aortic dissection” caused by cardiovascular disease, according to a preliminary finding by the Washington, D.C., medical examiner. He was 71 years old.

Graham ran for re-election in November and had the Republican Party nomination. Several other Republican candidates have already announced plans to run for his Senate seat.

Graham and his sister lost their parents and both their mother and father died within 15 months of each other.

Graham was 22 years old at the time and his sister was 13. She lived with family members and maintained a close relationship with Graham while he studied law and served in the Air Force.

“He’s like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one,” Nordone, a mother of two who works helping people with disabilities find jobs, told the New York Times in 2015.

Graham later adopted her and told reporters it was so she would receive her military benefits in case something happened to her.

He has been by his side throughout his political career. Graham even previously suggested that she would be his first lady if he were elected president.