The 4-0 vote sends the nomination to the full Senate. Maldonado vows to make the office 'the public face of job creation.' If neither house rejects the nomination, he will take office Feb. 22. State Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) on Wednesday moved a step closer to confirmation as California's next lieutenant governor when the Senate Rules Committee backed him to fill a vacancy created when John Garamendi was elected to Congress.