(CNN) Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is appointing Republican Rep. Martha McSally to the Senate, Ducey said in a statement Tuesday.

McSally narrowly lost a race this year to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema for Arizona's other Senate seat, which opened after Sen. Jeff Flake opted against seeking re-election.

Instead, McSally will replace GOP Sen. Jon Kyl, who is resigning months after Ducey selected him in September to temporarily fill the seat of former Sen. John McCain, who died in August.

"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 and look forward to working with her and Senator-Elect Sinema to get positive things done," Ducey said in the statement.

McSally was the preferred choice of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other national Republicans who see her resume as the Air Force's first female pilot to fly in combat as the makings of a strong candidate in an increasingly challenging state, where she'll have to run in a special election to keep the job in 2020.

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