Washington, July 27 (IANS): US President Donald Trump has formally nominated Kansas Governor Sam Brownback to serve as the State Departments Ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom.

Brownback, 60, represented his home state in the Congress before being elected to two terms as Governor beginning in 2011. His name had been in the mix for the post for weeks, before the White House announced his pick on Wednesday, Politico reported.

"Religious Freedom is the first freedom. The choice of what you do with your own soul. I am honoured to serve such an important cause," Brownback wrote on Twitter.

Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, a doctor from suburban Kansas City who previously served in the State Legislature, is expected to take over as Governor if Brownback's nomination is confirmed by the Senate, the New York Times reported.

The Office of International Religious Freedom within the State Department is charged with promoting religious freedom as a key objective of US foreign policy, according to the State Department's website. 

The office's mission is to monitor "religious persecution and discrimination worldwide, recommend and implement policies in respective regions or countries, and develop programmes to promote religious freedom."

In Kansas, Brownback proved to be a deeply unpopular Governor. According to a survey, he was the second least popular Governor in America, with only 25 per cent of those surveyed approving of his job performance and a 63 per cent disapproval rating.