Eight days ago, Kamala Harris took the oath of office for a second term as attorney general and delivered an inaugural address that talked about all she hoped to accomplish in the job over the next four years.
What a difference eight days can make.
Harris, 50, announced in a statement on her website Tuesday morning that she is a candidate for the U.S. Senate -- news that comes after an intense flurry of speculation set off by the decision of Sen. Barbara Boxer to step aside when her term ends.
"I'm asking you to help me build a grassroots campaign that reaches every community of California," wrote Harris on her website.
Harris' political advisers began quietly confirming the decision Monday afternoon, only hours after Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he would not be a candidate. The two Democrats have been the most-talked-about contenders for either the Senate or a 2018 race for governor.