The Student News Site of University of Central Missouri

Muleskinner

The Student News Site of University of Central Missouri

Muleskinner

The Student News Site of University of Central Missouri

Muleskinner

Mass. gov. picks ex-aide Cowan as interim senator

By BOB SALSBERG
(BOSTON, AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick has named his former chief-of-staff William “Mo” Cowan to serve as interim U.S. senator for Massachusetts until a special election can be held this summer to fill the seat left vacant by John Kerry’s confirmation as the nation’s new secretary of state.

A person with knowledge of the appointment, who spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made, said Patrick picked Cowan, who will serve until the June 25 special election. An announcement was expected later Wednesday morning.
Cowan, 43, became chief-of-staff to Patrick in 2010 after first serving as chief legal counsel during the Democratic governor’s first term. He stepped down as Patrick’s top aide in December, though he remained on a senior adviser through the filing last week of the governor’s state budget request.
Cowan grew up in North Carolina and graduated from Duke University and Northeastern University’s law school. He was a partner in the prominent Boston law firm of Mintz Levin before going to work for Patrick.
Patrick had said that diversity would be an important consideration in his choice of an interim senator, and Cowan will be the state’s second African-American senator. Edward Brooke, a Republican, represented Massachusetts from 1967-1979.
The governor had also said that his selection would be a person who had no intention of being a candidate in the special election, but otherwise he had given little indication who he favored during his deliberations.
The only possible candidate Patrick confirmed speaking with was former Congressman Barney Frank, and then only after Frank told reporters he’d spoken with Patrick.
Michael Dukakis, the former governor and 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, and Victoria Kennedy, widow of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, had also been mentioned as possible candidates for the interim post.
Cowan’s appointment also signals the official start of the special election race. So far the only announced candidate is Democratic U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, of Malden. Fellow Democratic Congressman Stephen Lynch, of Boston, also is weighing a run and is expected to formally announce his candidacy on Thursday.
Republican officials close to Scott Brown said Tuesday that the former senator is “leaning strongly” toward running and could make an announcement early next week. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share internal discussions.
Brown, who is still popular in Massachusetts despite his unsuccessful re-election campaign last year, would be considered a front-runner with a campaign effort that could easily be revived and an ability to raise tens of millions of dollars.
Brown also has some hurdles, including his loss last year to Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
The Democratic and Republican primary elections are scheduled for April 30.
The candidates face a tight schedule to raise money and convince voters to put them in the Senate.
Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin said he’s ready to immediately release nomination papers. Candidates will have four weeks to collect the 10,000 signatures they need to get on the ballot.
Markey has already publicly challenged all Democratic and Republican candidates who might jump into the special election to agree to keep outside groups from spending money on political ads. He said he wants a deal similar to the so-called “people’s pledge” agreed to by Brown and Warren in last year’s Senate race.
The winner of the special election would serve out the remainder of Kerry’s term and would face another election in November 2014.
Kerry was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, by a 94-3 vote, to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state. His resignation takes effect Friday at 4 p.m.
___
Associated Press writer Steve Peoples contributed to this report.

Story continues below advertisement
Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Muleskinner Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activate Search
Mass. gov. picks ex-aide Cowan as interim senator