WILMINGTON, Del. – Edward "Ted" Kaufman, a former aide to Sen. Joe Biden, was named Monday by Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner to fill the Senate seat Biden is leaving for the vice presidency.
Kaufman is president of a political and management consulting firm based in Wilmington. Kaufman served on Biden's Senate staff from 1973 to 1994, including 19 years as chief of staff. He is an advisory board member to President-elect Barack Obama's transition team.
Speculation on Biden's successor had centered in recent weeks on his son, Attorney General Beau Biden. Last week, however, the younger Biden announced that he planned to fulfill his National Guard duties and wouldn't accept an appointment to his father's U.S. Senate seat.
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