Sen. Carte Goodwin (D-WV) has been sworn into office by Vice President Joe Biden, following his appointment last Friday by Gov. Joe Manchin, to serve as a temporary Senator in the seat formerly held by the late Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd.
Goodwin, a former general counsel in Manchin’s administration, will serve in the seat through this November, when a special election for the seat will be held. Manchin is now running in that election, and is probably the strongest candidate that Democrats could have gotten for the race in a state that is historically Democratic but has been trending to the right.
Goodwin’s interim appointment, however, will have an immediate effect: The expected passage today of an extension of unemployment benefits, for which he will provide the 60th vote.
