DENVER — (AP) — Colorado state Senate President Leroy Garcia is resigning to accept a Biden administration appointment to a Pentagon post.

The Pueblo Democrat said Thursday he intends to resign on Feb. 23. Garcia, a Marine Corps veteran and licensed paramedic, has been Senate president since 2019. He said he will serve as a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Garcia was elected to the state House in 2012 and to the Senate in 2014. He is term-limited. The Colorado Senate Democratic caucus, which holds a 20-15 majority in the chamber, hasn’t named a likely Senate president replacement.

Majority Leader Steve Fenberg of Boulder told The Denver Post he plans to run for the position.