Stephen Pagliuca, managing director of Bain Capital Partners LLC, has resigned from Burger King Holdings Inc.'s (BKC) board of directors.

The resignation was effective Monday, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Pagliuca is vying for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts to finish the term of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. He has said he would take a leave of absence from Bain as well as the boards of directors on which he serves.

He has served on Burger King's board since 2002, when Bain and other private equity firms bought the chain for $1.4 billion.

Burger King shares closed Wednesday at $17.37, down 63 cents, or 3.5%.

A Burger King spokesperson wasn't immediately available for comment.

-By Paul Ziobro, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2194; paul.ziobro@dowjones.com