BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts lawmakers gave final approval on Thursday to a measure that would strip Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of his power to appoint a replacement for John Kerry should the Democrat, who is running for president, vacate his seat in the U.S. Senate.The state Senate voted 31 to 7 for a bill that would establish special elections to pick successors to U.S. representatives and senators who leave office during their terms.
The vote could affect the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans hold a very slim majority, if Kerry relinquishes his seat in his run for the White House.
The Republican Party currently holds 51 of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, against 48 for the Democrats and independent Jim Jeffords of Vermont, who left the Republican party in 2001 but usually votes with the Democrats.
Romney has the power to veto the bill, but the overwhelmingly Democratic legislature has approved it by a large enough margin to override his veto.
"Eighty-two years of history is being overturned for a blatantly partisan purpose," Romney told reporters on Thursday.
The governor declined to say exactly how he would respond to the measure.
Kerry spends most of his time campaigning for the November election battle with Republican President Bush. Romney has called on Kerry to resign his seat in the Senate, saying he was not representing the people of Massachusetts.
