Changes

|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]

|terms=September 25, 2009-PresentFebruary 4, 2010

|succeeded=[[Scott Brown]]

'''Paul Grattan Kirk, Jr.''' (born January 18, 1938) is a lawyer and [[Democratic Party]] politician who is served as the junior United States Senator from [[Massachusetts]] after being appointed by Governor [[Deval Patrick]] to replace the late [[Ted Kennedy]]. He will temporally hold held the seat until a special election scheduled for January 2010. His appointment caused controversy, after the Democratic super-majority in the state legislature had originally blocked the right of [[Republican]] Governor [[Mitt RomneyScott Brown]] to appoint an interim senator had [[John Kerry]] been elected President in the 2004 election. His appointment was all the more significant because Senator Kirk could be the crucial 60th vote for government-run [[health care]] legislation that the [[Obama administration]] is proposing. Senator Kirk serves sworn into office on the Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs CommitteeFebruary 4.

His appointment caused controversy, after the Democratic super-majority in the state legislature had originally blocked the right of [[Republican]] Governor [[Mitt Romney]] to appoint an interim senator had [[John Kerry]] been elected President in the 2004 election.  Senator Kirk served on the Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Kirk is a graduate from [[Harvard]] Law School. Senator Kirk served on Ted Kennedy's staff from 1969 through 1977 and as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 through 1989, during which Massachusetts Governor [[Michael Dukakis]] lost the presidency' unsuccessful presidential campaign. As a super-delegate in the [[2008 Presidential Election]], Kirk endorsed [[Barack Obama]] in the Democratic primaries.

[[Category:Former United States Senators]]