TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed a Cuban-American woman to the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday, marking the first time in history the court will have three women as sitting justices.

The Republican governor chose Meredith Sasso to replace Ricky Polston, who retired from the high court earlier this year. Sasso currently is the chief judge on the state’s 6th District Court of Appeal, a position she was appointed to by DeSantis earlier this year.

DeSantis now has appointed five of the seven members of the Florida Supreme Court.

Sasso, a Tallahassee native, attended the University of Florida for both undergraduate studies and law school, according to the governor’s office. After working in private law practice, she was chief deputy counsel for former Gov. Rick Scott and then was appointed to the appeals court based in Lakeland.

““I am proud to appoint Judge Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court because her fidelity to the Constitution will help preserve freedom in our state for generations to come,” DeSantis said in a news release. “As a Cuban-American woman who understands the importance of our constitutional system and the rule of law, Judge Sasso will serve our state well.”

Sasso will join justices Jamie Grosshans and Renatha Francis as female members of the Supreme Court, all three appointed by DeSantis. Sasso is a member of the conservative Federalist Society and a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network, according to the news release.

“The judiciary plays a critical and unique role in our constitutional government, and I am resolutely committed to upholding the rule of law for as long as I am privileged to serve,” Sasso said.

The Associated Press