Election Scheduled To Fill Thomas Kennedy's State Senate Seat
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — A special election has been scheduled to fill the state Senate seat left vacant by the death of Brockton Democrat Thomas Kennedy.
Secretary of State William Galvin announced Monday that a primary will be held Oct. 6, with the special election to follow on Nov. 3.
Nomination papers signed by at least 300 certified voters are due by Aug. 25.
Kennedy died last month at the age of 63. He represented Brockton for more than 30 years in the Legislature, first in the House and later in the Senate.
Kennedy had been in a wheelchair since an accident in 1971 that left him paralyzed.
In a statement, Senate President Stan Rosenberg called Kennedy a "great friend, colleague and public servant," who devoted his life to serving his constituents and whose voice will be missed in the Senate.
In addition to Brockton, the Senate district includes all or portions of the towns of Easton, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Plympton and Whitman.
He was not related to the famous Kennedy political clan.
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