It has been decided by New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie that that state's Attorney General Jeffery Chiesa will temporarily fill the seat left vacant by the passing of late Senator Frank Lautenberg. The governor made the announcement on Thursday.

Chiesa headed Christie’s transition team after his election as New Jersey’s governor, then was appointed chief counsel from January 2010 until December 2011 when he was nominated as Attorney General. Chiesa has known Christie for 20 years.

Saying of his choice of Chiesa to fill the seat, the New Jersey Governor stated, “There’s very few people in my life I know better than Jeff.” Chiesa will hold the seat until a special election that is set to take place on October 16th. Chiesa has said he has no intentions to run for the seat in the election.

U.S. Representative Rush Holt announced his plans to seek the Democratic nomination for the seat and said of his decision to run, “I believe I am the best candidate to continue the passionate advocacy for progressive values that Sen. Lautenberg exemplified.” The 64-year-old Representative was first elected to Congress in 1998. Prior to that, he was the assistant director of Princeton’s Plasma Physics Laboratory.

Former Bogata Mayor Steve Lonegun stated that he will announce his intentions to seek the Republican nod on Thursday.

Other Democrats, U.S. Representative Frank Pallone and Newark Mayor Cory Baker had earlier thought about attempting to run for the Senate seat. But, have made no mention of it after the death of Senator Lautenberg Monday.

Concerned that the Democrats would have the upper hand in a special election, Republicans criticized Christie for not appointing someone to fill out Lautenberg’s term for the next 18 month until that seat’s term expires. Democrats and Republicans alike criticized Christie for holding a special election prior to the scheduled election in November. The cost of that special election is estimated at $24 million.

But, it is believed by holding the special election prior to the scheduled election Christie will dampen the Democrat turnout in the regular election, thus increasing chances that Republicans will do better then.

New Jersey has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1972, in 1982, a Republican was appointed to the seat to finish out Harrison Williams’s term after he resigned amid scandal.