John McCain has picked little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, making Palin the first woman ever named to a national Republican ticket, according to CNN and Politico.

McCain, an Arizona senator who will accept the GOP's presidential nomination in St. Paul, Minn., on Thursday, made the announcement at a campaign event in Dayton, Ohio, later today.

Palin, a former beauty queen who was first elected in 2006, is a mother of five children, including a son who recently joined the Army and a baby boy who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome in April.

Her selection is an indication that McCain intends to try to court women who supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., in the Democratic primary.

Palin ran on a pledge to reform Alaska and has turned a cold shoulder to Republicans involved in scandals. However, she is being investigated in a probe into whether she improperly sought to fire her former brother in law.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, just called her a "breath of fresh air" in  an interview on CNN.