(CNN) Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has chosen Roger Lau, a jack-of-all trades political operative who helped steer her to victory in two US Senate elections, to manage her 2020 campaign for the White House, CNN has learned.

Lau, 41, has held several senior roles with the Massachusetts Democrat, including campaign manager for her re-election race in 2018, as well as state director and political director. Dan Geldon, Warren's longtime aide and former Senate chief of staff, will serve as chief of staff on the presidential campaign.

Warren's decision to put Lau and Geldon in two such prominent roles reflect her reliance on a fiercely loyal and small circle of aides she has come to trust over the years. The appointment is also a historic one: Lau appears to be the first Asian-American campaign manager for a major American presidential candidate -- particularly notable in an election that already features an unprecedentedly diverse field of candidates.

"Roger and I have been together since my first days as a candidate for office, and it's always been a fight from the heart. It's what binds us together," Warren said in a statement provided to CNN. "Roger believes in building a grassroots operation, and that's exactly what we'll do."

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