US President Donald Trump has named former Republican congressman Dave Brat as the new ambassador to Australia.
A hard line Christian conservative from Virginia, Mr Brat holds a PhD in economics and has worked as an academic and economist of much of his career.
He turned to politics in the Twenty-Teens and represented Virginia’s 7th district from 2014 until 2018 after ousting then-US House majority leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary.
He returned to academia following his loss.
Former Republic congressman Dave Brat has been nominated for US ambassador to Australia. Picture: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
The White House on Monday (Tuesday AEST) announced the pick in a list of nominations to be sent to the US Senate for approval.
Mr Brat must be confirmed by the US Senate before taking up the posting.
The pick comes 15 months into Mr Trump’s term.
Australia has been without a US envoy since Caroline Kennedy’s departure in late 2024.
Ms Kennedy, the daughter of the assassinated US president John F Kennedy, left the diplomatic post when Mr Trump won – as is tradition when the presidency changes parties.
The absence of an ambassador in Canberra has added extra strain to the Australia-US relationship amid jarring foreign policy differences between the Albanese government and the Trump administration.
