Kennedy successor special election Jan. 9

BOSTON, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A special election will be held Jan. 19 to elect a successor to late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's office said Monday.

A state legislative committee plans to conduct a hearing next week on a bill that would allow Patrick to appoint a temporary replacement for Kennedy until the special election is held. That would accommodate Kennedy's recent request that Massachusetts not wait for a special election to fill his seat, The Boston Globe reported. Kennedy died last week of brain cancer.

The House and Senate chairmen of the Joint Committee on Election Laws said Monday they rescheduled their hearing from October to Sept. 9. The bill could reach the floor within days of the committee hearing.

"One of the senator's last public acts was a request that the Legislature explore ways to amend state law so the Commonwealth will not lose a voice in the United States Senate pending the filling of the seat with a special election," said state Sen. Thomas P. Kennedy, Senate chairman of election laws committee and no relation to Edward Kennedy.

Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin said state statute calls for an election to be held on a Tuesday between 145 and 160 days after a vacancy occurs.

Observers told the Globe several Democrats were waiting to see whether former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, decides to run for the seat.

Among the Democrats reportedly considering a run for the vacant seat are U.S. Reps. Edward J. Markey, Michael Capuano, and Stephen F. Lynch and state Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Globe said. On the Republican side, former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, state Sen. Scott Brown and former U.S. attorney Michael Sullivan reportedly are considering bids.