Sen. Brian Dansel resigns seat for Trump administration job

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Republican Sen. Brian Dansel has resigned from the Washington Senate to take a job with the administration of President Donald Trump.

Dansel resigned his seat Tuesday afternoon and announced that he will be a special assistant to the U.S. secretary of agriculture.

The announcement comes a day after it was revealed that fellow Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen accepted a temporary position with the Environmental Protection Agency. Ericksen was named communications director for Trump's transition team at EPA, but has said he doesn't plan to resign his seat in the state Senate, and instead will fly back and forth to the state as needed during the state's current 105-day legislative session.

Republicans control the Senate with a narrow 25-24 majority with the help of a Democrat who caucuses with them. With Dansel's resignation, they will be tied until a replacement can be selected.