Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will officially resign Monday from her US Senate seat, ending her four-year Senate career, according to a Harris aide. The move comes two days before she’s inaugurated on Wednesday, making history as the first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president.
Aides to the California Democrat confirmed the timing and said Gov. Gavin Newsom was aware of her decision, clearing the way for him to appoint fellow Democrat Alex Padilla, now California’s secretary of state, to serve the final two years of Harris’ term.
Harris will leave the Senate shortly after Democrats narrowly secured a majority there, winning two election runoffs in Georgia this month.
Wednesday’s pared-down inauguration comes just over two weeks after President Donald Trump’s supporters, egged on by the president, stormed the US Capitol as Congress met to certify Biden’s election victory.
Authorities have warned of further violence surrounding the inauguration and put increased security in place in Washington, DC, and various US state capitals.
