Duke Law Fellow Ted Kaufman Appointed to Biden's Senate Seat

Ted Kaufman, a senior lecturing fellow at Duke Law School, has been appointed to complete Vice President-elect Joseph Biden's term in the United States Senate.

Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner announced the appointment Monday afternoon, saying, "He'll walk in there with all the experience he needs to do the job for Delaware."

Kaufman, a 1960 graduate of Duke, has taught classes relating to Congress at Duke Law School since 1991. He also has taught classes at Duke's Fuqua School of Business and the Sanford Institute of Public Policy. Kaufman served on Biden's Senate staff for 22 years, 19 as chief of staff, and he headed Biden's two presidential bids. He currently co-chairs Biden's transition team and is on the advisory board of President-elect Barack Obama's transition team.

"I think the people of Delaware should be delighted by this choice," said Christopher Schroeder, the Charles S. Murphy Professor of Law and Professor of Public Policy Studies. "Ted is one of the most conscientious, honest, and hardworking people I have ever been associated with, and I know he will work 24/7, 365 days a year for the people of Delaware and the entire United States."

According to published reports, Kaufman said he is not interested in serving in the Senate long-term, and will not be running for re-election in 2010.

"I do not think that Delaware's appointed senator should spend the next two years running for office," Kaufman said. "I will do this job to the best of my ability to serve the people of Delaware."

Kaufman is the president of Public Strategies, a political and management consulting firm in Wilmington, Del., and is a charter member of the nine-member Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent federal agency responsible for all non-military, international broadcasting sponsored by the U.S government.

More information about Kaufman is available on his law school faculty profile page, http://www.law.duke.edu/fac/kaufman/.