West Virginia governor holds off on successor for Byrd

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III has postponed the appointment of a replacement for the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd until state officials clarify how soon a special election can be held, a move that leaves Senate Democrats short a potentially crucial vote at least until next week.

Manchin said Wednesday that he would prefer to allow voters to choose someone to complete Byrd’s unexpired term in an election this fall. Until the state attorney general determines whether he is empowered to call for such a vote, however, Manchin said he would not name a temporary replacement.

The governor also announced that although he would not appoint himself to the seat, he would strongly consider running in a special election if one occurred this fall. He said he was ready to choose from several “high-caliber” candidates for the interim appointment.

After Byrd’s death June 28, West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant said state law called for the appointment of a replacement who would serve until November 2012, when elections would be held to fill the long-serving Democrat’s unexpired term and for a new six-year term beginning in January 2013.

In his announcement postponing the appointment, Manchin said that allowing an unelected appointee to serve for more than two years “doesn’t make sense.”

Manchin had refused to discuss filling the Senate vacancy until after memorial services honoring Byrd. Democrats in Washington, however, have been eager for a new senator to be named, especially with a vote expected next week on financial regulatory reform legislation that is expected to require 60 votes to overcome a threatened Republican filibuster.

A decision by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to back the bill, however, gave the party more breathing room.

Manchin said he spoke with the White House and with Democratic congressional leaders, and understood the importance of making a decision soon. But he said he was determined not to rush a decision out of respect for state voters.

“There’s a process that they understand and respect in West Virginia,” he said. “To just hastily try and do something … to fill a giant’s shoes in Robert C. Byrd, a stickler for the Constitution … would not be a good thing.”

White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said: “West Virginians should decide what process is best for them. But with so many pressing national issues, they should be represented at full capacity as soon as possible.”

Manchin has been elected governor twice by strong margins and remains popular. Republicans say that the unpopularity of President Obama in the state gives them a fighting chance, especially if their preferred candidate, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, decides to run.

michael.memoli@latimes.com