HONOLULU (AP) - Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz of Hawaii has been appointed to succeed the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced the appointment after receiving a list of three candidates from the state Democratic Party Wednesday.
Inouye died Dec. 17 of respiratory complications at the age of 88. He had sent Abercrombie a letter that day, saying his last wish was for U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa to succeed him.
Schatz will serve until an election is held in 2014. Had Hanabusa been appointed, there would have been a special election to fill her seat.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had called on Abercrombie to name Inouye's successor before the end of the year.
The 40-year-old Schatz is a former state lawmaker and a former chairman of the state Democratic Party.
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