N.J. attorney general named to fill Senate ..

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Trenton, N.J. • New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has named state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa to temporarily fill the U.S. Senate seat that opened up this week after Frank Lautenberg's death.

Chiesa, 47, has never held or run for political office and will not seek the office in an October special election to fill the seat for a longer period, Christie said.

Christie has scheduled a special election for October to fill the seat until it expires in January 2015. The winner of that election would have to run again in 2014.

Lautenberg served nearly 30 years in the Senate. The liberal Democrat was 89.

Rep. Rush Holt became the first Democrat on Thursday to announce he's seeking his party's nomination for the seat. Former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan is to announce Thursday that he'll seek the Republican nomination.

N.J. attorney general named to fill Senate seat