TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Former Florida Attorney General and Temple Terrace native Pam Bondi has been selected to be President-elect Donald Trump’s next U.S. Attorney General.

During her time as the state’s top cop, Bondi pushed for a safe way for students to report school shootings following the tragedy in Parkland. She also focused on getting drugs off the street, like opioids and bath salts.  

Florida GOP Chair Evan Power said efforts like those make Bondi ready to be the nation’s attorney general.

“Pam Bondi was a great attorney general,” Power said. “I think she’s going to be ready to go.”

Sen. Rick Scott, who was governor while Bondi was state attorney general, congratulated the Hillsborough County native on social media.

“For eight years, I worked alongside pam to keep Florida safe, and I’m looking forward to working with her to keep our nation safe,” Scott said.

State Democratic Chair Nikki Fried said Bondi was mostly selected because of her loyalty to Trump.

“When she’s not taking checks from Trump in exchange for immunity, she’s defending him from impeachment,” Fried said.

Bondi represented and supported Trump after his first impeachment and after he lost to President Joe Biden.

Fried was also referring to Bondi accepting a $25,000 political donation from Trump in 2013 while her office was deciding whether to sue Trump University over fraud allegations.

Power said that didn’t impact her then and won’t impact her now.

“She ended up being reelected,” Power said. “So, voters made a decision that none of that matters to them. I think she’s going to be easily confirmed.”

USF Political Science Professor J. Edwin Benton said, if confirmed, which is likely, Bondi could set her sights on seeking a higher office.

“I think it’s going to increase her political capital down the road to occupy some other office at the federal level,” Benton said. “She is a fair-minded person. I’ve known her myself going back to the days when she was in Hillsborough County in the state attorney’s office.”

Bondi was named for the seat after former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, according to NBC News, withdrew from the nomination. That stemmed from allegations of sexual misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing.