Didn’t MA pass a law requiring a special election?
Yes, believing Kerry would be elected President with Romney as governor.
They repealed it right after Kennedy died with Patrick as governor, but not fast enough to prevent the Scott Brown special election.
Sources tell ABC News that President Obama plans to nominate Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry for Secretary of State, ABC’s Jake Tapper reports. But Kerry isn’t the only Senator from the Bay State who stands to benefit from the appointment.
Sen. Scott Brown is widely expected to seek out his old job and he would be viewed as a strong contender, particularly in a special election to fill Kerry’s vacancy. Republicans have a tendency to perform better in special elections, which draw many fewer voters.
But it would be at least six months – assuming that Kerry is confirmed as Secretary of State, which he is expected to be- and assuming that Brown wins a special election – before he could re-join the Senate.
Massachusetts law dictates that a special election cannot take place sooner than 145 days from the time an out-going Congress member’s resignation is effective, meaning that at least 145 days must pass between the date that member actually leaves their job and the date that the special occurs. At this juncture in time, even if Kerry is nominated tomorrow and has an incredibly quick confirmation at the beginning of the next Congress, the earliest conceivable date to reach this mark is in June, 2013.
Yes. Deval can appoint someone to serve the 90 days until an election. I am surprised he won’t appoint himself.