2569d ago / 8:27 PM UTC

Harris to keep high-profile Judiciary Committee post

California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris will retain her spot on the Senate Judiciary Committee next year, keeping her on the high-profile committee ahead of a possible presidential bid in 2020.

Democrats were concerned that Harris could lose her post after Republicans won two more seats in the body during the 2018 elections. Harris has the lowest seniority on the committee, so her spot could have been on the chopping block.

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday that Harris would keep her spot. 

"As a former prosecutor, [Harris] has strived every day for a more fair judicial system for all Americans. I’m proud that we successfully fought to keep her seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee," he tweeted. 

A source familiar with the negotiations confirmed to NBC News that keeping Harris on the committee was a priority for Schumer and that Republicans will gain a seat on it in exchange.

That means that Republicans will have a two-vote majority on the body instead of the one-vote edge they had this past Congress. 

Harris has been a vocal member of the committee since she joined it in 2017, and she's been able to leverage the spot to increased recognition and visibility during high profile issues like the recent confirmation hearings for now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 

--Leigh Ann Caldwell contributed.

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