(CBS) - In a move that surprised the political world, Sen. John McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate, CBS News confirms.

Palin, 44, will be the first female Republican vice-presidential candidate. A first-term governor and former beauty queen, Palin is known for her dynamic personality. She is a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association and is anti-abortion rights.

Palin signed into law an aggressive ethics reform package and is at the forefront of the oil drilling debate in Alaska. She faces a state probe into whether she tried to get a former brother-in-law fired from his law enforcement job.

In picking Palin, McCain passed on more traditional picks, such as former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, both of whom were thought to be on the Republican’s shortlist.

Palin is the youngest and first female governor of Alaska. She has five children.