Presidential transition of Barack Obama he was sworn in as Vice President on January 20, 2009. Although he was sworn in for a seventh Senate term in early January 2009, he resigned from the seat on January 15, 2009, having served just over 36 years in the body. On November 24, 2008, Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner announced that Ted Kaufman would serve as Biden's appointed replacement. Kaufman was sworn in on January 16, 2009. A special election was held in November 2010, which elected Democratic candidate Chris Coons. During his abbreviated final term in the Senate, Biden went on a diplomatic fact-finding trip to
Christine Griffin 28, 2005, and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on November 4, 2005. Griffin was sworn in on January 3, 2006, to serve the remainder of a five-year term expiring July 1, 2009, and became the first female member of the commission with a physical disability. As commissioner, Griffin advocated for increasing the number of disabled workers in the federal government. In January 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Griffin as acting vice chairman of the commission. Griffin served until December 2009. President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Griffin as deputy director of the United States Office of