WASHINGTON D.C. (BCN) -- A swearing-in ceremony is being held in Washington, D.C., Thursday  for John Garamendi, who won a special general election Tuesday for an open  U.S. Congress seat in the East Bay.

Garamendi will be sworn in by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San  Francisco as the new representative of California's 10th Congressional  District, which includes much of Contra Costa County, as well as parts of  Alameda, Solano and Sacramento counties.

Tuesday's election filled the seat vacated by Democrat Ellen  Tauscher, who was nominated in March for a State Department position that she  accepted in June.

Garamendi, who was serving as the state's lieutenant governor,  received about 53 percent of the vote, compared to nearly 43 percent for  Republican David Harmer.

He will serve the rest of Tauscher's term, which ends in January  2011.

Garamendi said Tuesday that he had spoken with Pelosi about flying  out to Washington immediately after the election so he could be sworn in and  participate in a House vote on a health care reform bill that could take  place as soon as this weekend.

Garamendi's spokeswoman Beth Willon said today that he would be  resigning from the lieutenant governor position right before the swearing-in  ceremony.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will then have to choose a replacement  for the lieutenant governor position.

Garamendi's swearing-in ceremony was scheduled to take place at  noon EST on the House floor.

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