Arizona Rep. Martha McSally will be the next Senator for the state of Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday morning.
The Congresswoman’s appointment follows a contentious campaign in the 2018 midterm election, where she lost a close race to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.
Read More: AP: ASU lecturer Kyrsten Sinema wins Senate seat
The appointment will last through 2020, when McSally will have to run for reelection for the seat held by the late Sen. John McCain, who died of brain cancer earlier in 2018.
Read More: Sen. John McCain, Arizona's 'maverick,' dies at 81
The seat was shortly held by the former 3-term Senator Jon Kyl, who announced that he would step down at the end of December.
In a statement, Kyl said McSally's experience in the House would give her the upper hand and said that she was "highly energetic, smart and committed to finding practical solutions to problems facing our state and nation."
Read More: Sen. Jon Kyl to step down at the end of the month
In the same statement, Ducey called the Congresswoman “uniquely qualified to step up and fight for Arizona’s interests in the US senate.”
“I thank her for taking on this significant responsibility and look forward to working with her and Senator-Elect Sinema to get positive things done,” he said in the statement.
In the same release, McSally said that she looks forward to working with her former opponent.
"I’ve heard about the challenges they face and the hopes they have for the future – and I’ve learned a lot. I am humbled and grateful to have this opportunity to serve and be a voice for all Arizonan," she said. "I look forward to working with Senator-Elect Kyrsten Sinema and getting to work from day one.”
McSally faced backlash earlier this year for failing to mention John McCain in remarks about a defense authorization bearing his name.
McSally visited the home of the late Senator's wife, Cindy McCain, earlier this month, and reportedly apologized for that snub in anticipation of the appointment.
Cindy McCain tweeted her support for the appointment on Tuesday morning.
The Senator will face reelection in 2020, meaning her reelection campaign would start shortly after she takes office.
Reach the reporter at isaac.windes@asu.edu or follow @isaacdwindes on Twitter.
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