By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday picked state Attorney General Ashley Moody to succeed Senator Marco Rubio when he leaves his office to become the next U.S. secretary of state, a move that will maintain Republicans' majority in that chamber.
Rubio was picked by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the top U.S. diplomat and is expected to easily win confirmation in the Senate.
DeSantis said Moody could be sworn in as soon as Monday afternoon, shortly after Trump takes office.
DeSantis' move will preserve the 53-47 majority in the Senate, which could help Trump's other nominees win confirmation.
Moody has served as Florida's top law enforcement officer since 2019. She has also served as a federal prosecutor, state judge and law professor.
She also holds a degree in accounting. At a news conference, she said that background would help reduce federal spending.
"I have one message right now to President Trump and to my new colleagues on the United States Senate: America First. Let's get it done," she said.
Moody will serve out the remainder of Rubio's term, which ends in 2028.
Lara Trump, the incoming president's daughter-in-law, had been floated as a possible Rubio replacement but withdrew her name from consideration in December.
As Florida attorney general, Moody, 49, has been an ally of DeSantis as he has steered the state in a sharply conservative direction.
She also has challenged Democratic President Joe Biden's administration on several fronts, including labor rights, immigration and COVID-19 restrictions. In November, she sued the administration for allegedly discriminating against hurricane victims who support Trump.
Moody backed Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, joining an unsuccessful lawsuit that asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn his defeat in several battleground states.