The Next Mass. Senator Isn’t Barney Frank

Senator Mo Cowan of Mass.

After weeks of speculation that Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick might appoint former congressman Barney Frank to the Senate seat vacated by John Kerry, who has just been confirmed as the new secretary of State, Patrick appointed William "Mo" Cowan to the seat on an interim basis. A special election for the seat will be held in June.

According to The Huffington Post, Patrick, Cowan, and the Lt. Governor, Tim Murray, were chummy and jocular at this morning's news conference.

"He's cool," Murray said of Cowan. "Tom Brady, George Clooney, James Bond, the president have nothing on Mo."

"It was a private fact, but now known publicly thanks to the lieutenant governor, that he also brought cool," Patrick added.

HuffPo reports that the 43-year-old Cowan, the former chief of staff and former legal counsel to Patrick, grew up in rural poverty in North Carolina and went to Duke University and Northeastern University School of Law before becoming a prominent Boston lawyer. His appointment makes it the first time in American history that two black senators will serve at the same time.

According to Luke Johnson, Patrick did not pick Frank because he was turned off by Frank's public campaign for the position.