Reactions to William Cowan's appointment

BOSTON (WHDH) -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has tapped his former chief-of-staff William "Mo" Cowan to serve as interim U.S. senator until a special election to fill the seat left vacant by Secretary of State-designate John Kerry.

Here are reactions to Cowan’s appointment from political figures in Massachusetts:

Former congressman former Mass. Rep. Barney Frank had expressed interest in the appointment. He said:

"I know Mr. Cowan is committed to working hard and in socially-fair and economically-efficient manner toward resolving pending budget issues."

"I now look forward to working for the election of Ed Markey to continue this work, and to providing President Obama the support he deserves in carrying out the mandate he received in November."

This means Mass. Senator Elizabeth Warren becomes the state’s senior senator.

She said:

"I am very pleased to welcome Mo Cowan to the Senate. As former chief of staff to Governor Patrick, Mo brings a deep knowledge of the issues facing the people of our Commonwealth to the Senate. He will be a committed, hardworking interim Senator, and I look forward to working closely with him to protect the interests of Massachusetts families."