US presidential candidate John McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate.
Ms Palin, 44, was elected in 2006 as Alaska's first female governor. The mother of five built a reputation as a reformer in a state that recently has been hit with corruption scandals.
The surprise choice marks a huge political risk by John McCain, and a blatant bid to win over disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters.
Ms Palin is also expected to appeal to the Republican's grassroots conservative base, as she is strongly pro-life and backs the gun lobby.
She is best known for aggressively pushing for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a key part of the McCain energy policy.
However picking such a long-shot candidate could undermine Mr McCain's accusations that Barack Obama lacks the experience to be commander in chief.
'She will be his partner in reforming Washington,' a senior McCain official told reporters.
By announcing his pick today, John McCain is hoping to divert attention from the Democratic convention in Denver, which concluded last night with a speech by Barack Obama.
The Democratic candidate opened a broad assault on Mr McCain, accusing him of following the policies of unpopular President George W Bush.
Mr McCain is preparing to accept his party's nomination for president at the Republican convention in St Paul, Minnesota, next week.
'This is a bold choice of a strong conservative who is a reformer and will be greeted by the delegates in St Paul with enthusiasm,' said Republican strategist Scott Reed.
