U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg Has Died at 89

89-year-old Democratic U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, the oldest member of the upper chamber, has died of pneumonia. Lautenberg was not seeking re-election in 2014. Governor Chris Christie will choose a temporary successor, before scheduling a special election that will likely occur this fall. Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who’s already thrown his hat in the ring, is the presumptive front-runner. [Bergen Record]

Update [3:42 p.m]: The process by which a replacement is named is actually exceedingly complicated in New Jersey. The state says the Governor has a legal right to let his self-appointed successor stay in office until 2014. But another bit of state law suggests that a special election must be held by the next general election in Jersey, which is taking place this November. Stay tuned!