AP is reporting the Gov. Joe Manchin has made his decision on who will temporarily fill the late Robert Byrd's Senate seat.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gov. Joe Manchin is tapping his former chief counsel and a member of a prominent West Virginia family, Carte Goodwin, to succeed the late U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, Democratic officials told The Associated Press on Friday.
Three officials familiar with the governor's pick spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment ahead of an official announcement.
Manchin will announce the decision this afternoon. A special session of the legislature has convened to consider Manchin's proposal for a special election held in November to fill the seat permanently. Manchin is all but certain to run.
On the floor yesterday, Reid announced that the new Senator would be sworn in on Tuesday at 2:15, EDT, and that the Senate would move directly to passing the unemployment insurance extension. So for the now 2.5 million who've prematurely lost their benefits can breathe a bit easier, that is if they haven't already been evicted and had any possession of value repossessed.
Update: Sen. Jay Rockefeller has confirmed that Goodwin got the nod.