The Massachusetts legislature on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that would allow Gov. Deval L. Patrick (D) to appoint an interim U.S. senator, and he is leaning heavily toward naming Paul Kirk, a longtime aide to the late senator Edward M. Kennedy, to the position, according to a source familiar with the machinations.
Patrick, who is in the Berkshires, in western Massachusetts, recovering from hip surgery, has indicated that he would sign such a bill but would still need to declare an emergency to appoint an interim senator immediately. The appointee would hold the seat until a successor to Kennedy is chosen in a Jan. 19 special election.
The governor has said nothing publicly about who might fill the vacancy, but several sources said an announcement could come as soon as Thursday.
Read more: The Washington Post