Arizona Congresswoman Martha McSally was named Tuesday to fill a vacant Senate seat representing the southwestern U.S. state.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey appointed his fellow Republican to fill the next two years of the seat once held by late Sen. John McCain until his death in August.
McSally will face a special election in 2020 for the last two years of the term, with the seat being contested again for a full six-year Senate term in2022. Republican Sen. Jon Kyl has briefly filled the seat since McCain’s death but is resigning soon.
McSally came close to winning the state’s other Senate seat in November, losing to Democratic Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema.
In a statement, Ducey said, “With her experience and long record of service, Martha is uniquely qualified to step up and fight for Arizona’s interests in the U.S. Senate. I thank her for taking on this significant responsibility.”
McSally, a one-time critic of President Donald Trump, nonetheless cast herself as a staunch supporter of the president during her campaign against Sinema. McSally largely avoided mentioning McCain, who often sparred with Trump over his foreign and domestic policies and in turn often drew the president’s ire.
McSally, a former Air Force pilot, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2014. She becomes the 25th woman in the 100-member Senate, an all-time high.
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