CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Joe Manchin appointed his former chief counsel, Charleston lawyer Carte Goodwin, to temporarily fill the U.S. Senate seat of the late Robert C. Byrd on Friday.
Manchin, who made the announcement to an overflow crowd in the governor's reception room at the Capitol, called it significant that Goodwin, 36, will become the youngest member of the Senate, succeeding the longest-serving and oldest U.S. senator.
The governor said that while the Senate seat in some ways will always be thought of as Byrd's, "I think today we've honored him by choosing a worthy replacement."
Goodwin, a member of arguably the most prominent political family in West Virginia, worked as Manchin's chief lawyer during his first term as governor, but has never held political office.
However, Manchin said Goodwin's experience drafting legislation and working to get bills passed in the Legislature amounts to a wealth of experience.
"He's been more intimately involved in the process than anybody else I know," Manchin said of Goodwin's work as chief counsel. "I don't know anybody better qualified -- anybody."
Now-senior Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., was on hand for the announcement and welcomed Goodwin to the Senate, saying he looked forward to working with him.
"I can't tell you how proud I am professionally and personally that, in three or four days, Carte Goodwin and I are going to be colleagues," Rockefeller said.
Rockefeller said Goodwin will be sworn in as senator at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Immediately afterward, he will cast the decisive vote to restore a federally funded extension of unemployment benefits, Rockefeller said.
The previous extension of benefits from 26 weeks to 99 weeks expired on May 31, and with Byrd's absence, Senate Democrats lacked the 60th vote necessary to restore the extension.
During his comments, Rockefeller said he had an "inside source" to advise him of Goodwin's "absolute commitment to West Virginians."
Goodwin's wife, Rochelle, is director of Rockefeller's state office in Charleston.
Goodwin said Rockefeller's office has determined there is no conflict of interest for her to continue working for the senator. Also, he said his wife, who is due to deliver their second child early next month, will be on maternity leave for part of his roughly four-month tenure in the Senate.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Joe Manchin appointed his former chief counsel, Charleston lawyer Carte Goodwin, to temporarily fill the U.S. Senate seat of the late Robert C. Byrd on Friday.
Manchin, who made the announcement to an overflow crowd in the governor's reception room at the Capitol, called it significant that Goodwin, 36, will become the youngest member of the Senate, succeeding the longest-serving and oldest U.S. senator.
The governor said that while the Senate seat in some ways will always be thought of as Byrd's, "I think today we've honored him by choosing a worthy replacement."
Goodwin, a member of arguably the most prominent political family in West Virginia, worked as Manchin's chief lawyer during his first term as governor, but has never held political office.
However, Manchin said Goodwin's experience drafting legislation and working to get bills passed in the Legislature amounts to a wealth of experience.
"He's been more intimately involved in the process than anybody else I know," Manchin said of Goodwin's work as chief counsel. "I don't know anybody better qualified -- anybody."
Now-senior Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., was on hand for the announcement and welcomed Goodwin to the Senate, saying he looked forward to working with him.
"I can't tell you how proud I am professionally and personally that, in three or four days, Carte Goodwin and I are going to be colleagues," Rockefeller said.
Rockefeller said Goodwin will be sworn in as senator at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Immediately afterward, he will cast the decisive vote to restore a federally funded extension of unemployment benefits, Rockefeller said.
The previous extension of benefits from 26 weeks to 99 weeks expired on May 31, and with Byrd's absence, Senate Democrats lacked the 60th vote necessary to restore the extension.
During his comments, Rockefeller said he had an "inside source" to advise him of Goodwin's "absolute commitment to West Virginians."
Goodwin's wife, Rochelle, is director of Rockefeller's state office in Charleston.
Goodwin said Rockefeller's office has determined there is no conflict of interest for her to continue working for the senator. Also, he said his wife, who is due to deliver their second child early next month, will be on maternity leave for part of his roughly four-month tenure in the Senate.
Goodwin, whose political aspirations include a possible future run for Congress, said he will not run for election for the remaining two years in Byrd's unexpired term -- a seat Manchin has said he is "highly likely" to seek.
Legislators are expected to complete work in special session today<co > on a bill that would provide for a special election for the Senate seat on Nov. 2.
The Gazette first reported Wednesday that Goodwin had emerged as the front-runner for the temporary appointment, from a short-list that included former state Democratic Party chairman Nick Casey, and former governor Gaston Caperton.
Manchin confirmed Friday that he had long had Casey in mind as Byrd's replacement, but said Casey's pending nomination as a federal judge made that impossible.
"It's something I could not ask my best friend to do, to give up a lifetime appointment to the bench," Manchin said.
In accepting the appointment, Goodwin said, "I will have no agenda other than to work and fight hard every day for the people of West Virginia."
Goodwin said he was grateful for the support of his family, and said he is confident that his father, who died in April, will be looking down on him.
Asked about being a member of the politically prominent family, Goodwin said he does not believe there is such a thing as an elite family in West Virginia.
Goodwin's father, Steve, who died in April, had chaired West Virginia University's Board of Governors.
Goodwin's uncle, Joseph R. Goodwin, is the chief federal judge in Southern West Virginia. His aunt, Kay Goodwin, is head of the state Department of Education and the Arts. His cousin, Booth Goodwin, is U.S. Attorney for the state's Southern District.
A native of Mount Alto, Jackson County, Goodwin has a bachelor's degree from Marietta College and a law degree from Emory University. He and his wife have one son, Wesley.
Political reaction to Goodwin's appointment broke down largely along party lines. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she would work with Goodwin, but lamented the politics involving in choosing Byrd's successor.
"It is apparent that many elected officials, and particularly the person ultimately charged with calling a special election, have been more focused on political maneuvers to further their own political ambitions before fulfilling the obligations of their office on behalf of the people they were elected to serve," said Capito, whom many political observers believe will seek the Senate seat, either this year or in 2012.
Democrats, including President Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, supported the move. Obama called Goodwin an excellent choice as Byrd's successor and said he would ensure that West Virginians' voices "are heard in Washington now until they can be heard at the polls in November."
Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1220.
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