N.H. governor suggests he’ll appoint a Republican to fill Gregg’s seat

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) via Wikimedia

New Hampshire’s Democratic governor, John Lynch, has indicated that he’ll stick with the wishes of Sen. Judd Gregg, who said he’d only accept the job as President Obama’s commerce secretary if a fellow Republican was appointed to his seat. While Lynch’s carefully worded statement didn’t definitively state that he’d replace Gregg with another Republican, it implied as much: “I have had conversations with Senator Gregg, the White House and U.S. Senate leadership. Senator Gregg has said he would not resign his seat in the U.S. Senate if it changed the balance in the Senate. Based on my discussions, it is clear the White House and Senate leadership understand this as well. ”

“It is important that President Obama be able to select the advisors he feels are necessary to help him address the challenges facing our nation.”

If Lynch appointed a member of his own party, Democrats would be within one seat of a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate — and that one seat is the one Al Franken and Norm Coleman are still duking it out over.