Gov. Roy Cooper is elevating current North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley to become the next chief justice.

The Democratic governor announced Tuesday that Beasley is his choice to succeed current Chief Justice Mark Martin, who is resigning at the end of the month to lead a Virginia law school.

Beasley will be the state’s first female African-American chief justice. She’s been an associate justice since late 2012.

The 52-year-old Beasley is one of the five registered Democrats on the seven-member court. She previously served as a trial judge and Court of Appeals judge before then-Gov. Beverly Perdue appointed her to the Supreme Court.

Beasley’s appointment goes through the end of 2020. The chief justice’s seat will be on next year’s ballot for a full eight-year term.