President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate a former CIA deputy director to serve as his top intelligence adviser after reportedly considering Maine Sen. Angus King for the position.

Biden’s transition team announced Monday that he plans to nominate Avril Haines to serve as his director of national intelligence. If confirmed by the Senate, Haines will be the first woman to oversee the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies and to serve as the president’s chief intelligence adviser.

King, an independent, was among a handful of people mentioned for the DNI position. King has served on the Senate Intelligence Committee throughout his eight years in the Senate and has often criticized President Trump for politicizing intelligence matters while calling for a fully independent intelligence community.

On Nov. 13, King’s office confirmed that the 76-year-old was under consideration for the post, saying the senator “appreciates the acknowledgement of his leadership in this conversation.” The news created a brief conversation in Maine political circles about who Gov. Janet Mills would appoint to fill King’s seat until primaries and a special election could be held in 2022.

King said in a statement Monday that the intelligence community needs stability and support to restore morale, which has been damaged by President Trump’s refusal to accept accurate and truthful intelligence information.

“Avril Haines is a smart, experienced professional who has been outspoken in her concerns about the dangers in politicizing the intelligence community’s work,” King said. “I recommit myself on behalf of Maine and the nation to support the intelligence community’s vital role in maintaining the highest standards for the collection and analysis they provide for our national security.”

Biden’s nomination of Haines, who also previously served as deputy national security adviser, comes as the president-elect moves forward with his transition into office despite Trump’s refusal to concede the race and ongoing legal challenges of the election outcome in several states.

Biden also nominated former Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken to serve as secretary of state, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations and former Massachusetts senator and Secretary of State John Kerry to serve as special presidential envoy for climate.