President-elect Donald Trump has chosen South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the United Nations. Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster would take over the role of governor upon her confirmation.
The move was first reported by The Post and Courier late Tuesday and confirmed Wednesday by Trump's transition team.
Haley, the first woman appointed to Trump's Cabinet so far, said Wednesday that she would stay on as governor through her confirmation.
"We still have much to do in South Carolina, and my commitment to the people of our state will always remain unbreakable, both while I continue to hold this office, and thereafter," Haley said in a statement.
She enters the confirmation process with limited foreign policy experience, though she has led multiple overseas trade missions and her husband is a combat veteran. Haley did not endorse Trump during the Republican primaries, and her support of him during the general election was limited. However, the two were considered "friendly" before the 2016 election, and Trump has previously donated to Haley's past campaigns.
McMaster, an early supporter of Trump, will finish out Haley's term as governor through 2018. Haley would not have been able to run for re-election in 2018 because of term limits.