West Virginia’s Gov. Joe Manchin III has picked a successor to the late U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, and the new recruit is a young whippersnapper at that. He’s 36-year-old Carte Goodwin, and he’s also a Democrat, but his party can’t get too excited yet: Manchin is preparing for a special election to be held in November to decide who’ll fill the position on a more permanent basis, and the governor himself may enter the race. –KA

Los Angeles Times:

Goodwin, the former chief legal counsel to the Democratic governor, gives Democrats in the Senate a crucial 59th vote just as they prepare to push for passage of a key priority, an extension of unemployment benefits.

[…] Goodwin’s time at the Capitol is expected to be brief. Manchin soon may sign pending legislation authorizing a special election to allow voters to choose a new senator to complete Byrd’s unexpired term and serve until 2013. Manchin, 62, has said he plans to run in that election.

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