Hawaii Gov. Abercrombie to name Sen. Inouye successor Wednesday

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie will announce a replacement for the late Sen. Daniel Inouye’s (D) seat on Wednesday, according to a report.

CBS News reports that a Democratic source says the governor wants to appoint a successor quickly so that a new Hawaii senator can take part in possible votes over a deficit deal to avoid January’s “fiscal cliff.”

Inouye, a nine-term senator and strong LGBT ally, died last week at the age of 88. He was laid to rest on Sunday at a service in Hawaii, attended by President Obama and fellow senators.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Saturday urged Abercrombie to appoint a replacement with “due haste.”

On Wednesday, each of the applicants will speak to leaders of the state Democratic party, and the chairman will present Abercrombie a list of the party’s top three applicants. The source says Abercrombie intends to name his appointment later that day.

(source)