Manchin to name Byrd’s Senate successor by Sunday, announce election plans afterward

W.Va. gov expects to fill Byrd seat by Sunday

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin says he’ll make a temporary appointment to the late Robert C. Byrd’s Senate seat by Sunday.

Manchin said Monday he could announce his pick as early as Friday. Once he does that, he’ll say whether he plans to run for the seat in November.

Attorney General Darrell McGraw says Manchin can order a special election for the seat before 2012, when Byrd would have faced re-election.

Manchin is calling the Legislature into special session starting Thursday and plans to ask lawmakers to adopt McGraw’s opinion.

Manchin wants the seat on the Nov. 2 general election ballot, with party primaries in September. The Democrat says it’s highly likely he’ll run.

Byrd, also a Democrat, died last month at age 92.