Cheryl LaFleur, who has served on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) since 2010, announced June 20 on Twitter that she will resign at the end of August.

Twitter announcement
LaFleur's announcement on Twitter on June 20.

Her departure leaves the Trump administration with two seats to fill on the commission following the death of former Commissioner Kevin McIntyre in January. FERC now has a 2-2 split of Democrats and Republicans.

While the administration is expected to nominate James Danly, the commission’s general counsel, to replace McIntyre, it is unknown whether a Democrat will be chosen to replace Lafleur.  

“FERC was designed as a five-member commission and I urge the administration to move quickly to nominate individuals to fill the two open seats simultaneously in a bipartisan manner,” said Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in a statement. “I look forward to reviewing the nominees that come before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee so we can restore a fully functioning commission.”

Chairman Neil Chatterjee thanked LaFleur in a statement: “From her guidance on the many nuanced issues we’ve had to grapple with, to her good humor and a shared sense of pride in the New England Patriots, I consider her to be both a mentor and friend.”

LaFleur, a Democrat, was nominated by President Barack Obama. She was confirmed for a second term in 2014 and served as chairman from July 2014 to April 2015.