Christie appoints Chiesa to Lautenberg's seat

Bloomberg News

TRENTON -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie yesterday named state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa as the temporary replacement for the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, as politicians began lining up to fill the remainder of his term.

Chiesa, who described himself as a conservative Republican, will be sworn in June 10, and won't run in the special election to complete Lautenberg's term, Christie said at a news briefing Thursday.

"Senator Lautenberg had been ill and I knew this day might come," said Christie, who set an Oct. 16 special election for the Senate seat, with an Aug. 14 primary. "So I didn't just start thinking about this on Monday. I'd been thinking about it on and off for some period of time."

Lautenberg, a five-term Democrat, died Monday. He was 89.

Chiesa, 47, said he was surprised by the appointment.

The governor, a former federal prosecutor, said he first hired Chiesa when he was in private practice more than 20 years ago. Chiesa then spent seven years in the U.S. attorney's office, was executive director of Christie's transition team, and served for two years as the governor's chief counsel before Christie named him attorney general in January 2012.

Rep. Rush Holt, a nuclear physicist and five-time winner on the TV game show "Jeopardy," Thursday became the first Democrat to enter the special-election race. Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who had been preparing a bid before Lautenberg's death, will "make an official announcement at an appropriate date," spokesman Kevin Griffis said.

Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone also has expressed interest in the seat. Republican Steve Lonegan, former mayor of Bogota, is gathering signatures to get on the ballot.