Gov talks with possible Kerry replacements

BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) - Governor Deval Patrick is beginning private talks with possible candidates to replace U.S. Senator John Kerry.  Kerry is considered a front runner to become the next Secretary of State.  As governor, Patrick has the power to make an interim appointment to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat until a special election is held.

“People …have asked me what I think about it and they talk about a lot, they come and talk about how they would do it and I always ask the question why,” said Patrick.

When U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy died in 2009, former Governor Michael Dukakis was favored to temporarily replace him. Dukakis says it’s unlikely he’ll accept an interim Senate position because of his teaching obligations at UCLA and Northeastern University.

“I’ve got a bunch of students waiting for me on the west coast, I take my teaching seriously so in the meantime I’m just trying to finish up the semester at Northeastern,” said Dukakis.

But when 22 News pressed the question further, Dukakis didn’t rule it out.

“All very speculative,” said the former Governor.

Pittsfield state Senator Benjamin Downing, Congressman Mike Capuano and Congressman Ed Markey are all Democrats eyeing Kerry’s seat if there’s a special election. If Senator Scott Brown decides to run, he would probably be the Republican candidate.

“He would certainly be the front runner on anybody’s list and we would have to work very, very hard to defeat him,” said Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair John Walsh.

There’s also speculation that late-Senator Ted Kennedy’s wife, Vicki Kennedy, is eyeing the U.S. Senate seat, as well as Hollywood actor Ben Affleck.