Donald Trump picks former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler to lead Small Business Administration

President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he chose former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., to head the Small Business Administration.

Loeffler is a former finance executive who is currently the co-chair of Trump’s inaugural committee. She represented Georgia in the Senate from 2020 to 2021, when she was appointed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after former Sen. Johnny Isakson stepped aside for health reasons.

"Kelly will bring her experience in business and Washington to reduce red tape, and unleash opportunity for our Small Businesses to grow, innovate, and thrive," Trump said in a statement and on social media. "She will focus on ensuring that SBA is accountable to Taxpayers by cracking down on waste, fraud, and regulatory overreach."

If confirmed by the Senate, Loeffler would take over a Cabinet-level position that provides counseling, capital and contracting expertise as an advocate for small businesses.

While she sought to hold on to her Senate seat until January 2023, she lost to Democratic Georgia Sen. Rafael Warnock in the 2020 special election.

During her time in the Senate, she was a close ally of Trump, often touting a “100% Trump voting record” on the campaign trail.

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Born in Bloomington, Illinois, to Don and Lynda  Loeffler, lifelong soybean and corn farmers, she has often talked about growing up on the farm. In 1999, she graduated with an MBA from DePaul University and began her career in finance at companies including Citibank. In 2002, she joined Intercontinental Exchange, a financial services company in investor relations.

By the time she was in the Senate, she was the richest member of Congress.

The Republican mega-donor has often touted conservative credentials, with one of her campaign ads describing her as “more conservative than Attila the Hun.”

She voted in line with Trump's stated position 80% of the time, according to 538.

After initially saying she would oppose the Electoral College certification of then-President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, she reversed her position in the wake of a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

"The events that transpired have forced me to reconsider. I cannot now in good conscience object to the certification of the votes,” she said.

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler picked to run Small Business Administration