Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad resigned Wednesday and was sworn in as the new U.S. ambassador to China.
Branstad resigned on his 8,169th day in office and was the longest-serving governor in American history, the Des Moines Register reported.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that a boy from a small farm in Leland, Iowa, would one day have the opportunity to represent my country and my state on the world stage,” Branstad said in a statement after he was confirmed by the Senate.
The Senate confirmed Branstad on Monday, 82-13.
