Rosenberg Won't Return As President This Year As Senate Dems Decide To Elect New Leader In 2019

The Massachusetts Senate will get a new president next year.

Senate Democrats meeting in a closed-door caucus on Beacon Hill Wednesday said that acting President Sen. Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester) will stay on through the end of the year. An election for the next Senate president will be held in January 2019.

The Senate's 31 Democrats were meeting to discuss whether the scandal swirling around former Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) was too much of a distraction from the body's legislative affairs.

The move means Rosenberg will not return to his post for the remainder of this year's session. He could run in January if reelected to his seat.

Chandler's office released a statement following the decision:

Today, the Democratic Caucus voiced their support to continue my term through the end of the 2018 session. An election will be held on the first date of the 2019 session (January 2), as is the normal course of business for the Senate.

Our focus continues to be on policy, the budget, and the business of legislating.

At tomorrow’s formal session the word “Acting” will be removed from the Senate President’s title, and soon I will officially be moving into the Senate President’s office and naming a new Majority Leader.

Chandler, who was elected leader in December 2017, said she will not run for president next year.

Rosenberg stepped down in December of last year amid accusations of sexual misconduct involving his husband, Bryon Hefner, who allegedly inappropriately touched and kissed several men, some of whom had business before the State House. Rosenberg and Hefner separated in January.

With reporting from WBUR's Steve Brown and State House News Service