McSally appointed to McCain’s Senate seat

The Arizona Republican who narrowly lost the election for one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats in November will fill the other one in January. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, announced Tuesday he had appointed U.S. Rep. Martha McSally to the seat of the late Sen. John McCain. She will replace Sen. John Kyl, a former senator who temporarily filled the role after McCain’s death from brain cancer in August. McSally will serve until the 2020 election, when voters will elect someone to serve the final two years of McCain’s term. She is a two-term congresswoman and former Air Force colonel who served as the first U.S. female combat pilot. Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema defeated McSally in the midterm contest for the seat of outgoing Republican Sen. Jeff Flake.

“With her experience and long record of service, Martha is uniquely qualified to step up and fight for Arizona,” Ducey said in a statement. “I thank her for taking on this significant responsibility and look forward to working with her and Sen.-elect Sinema to get positive things done.”