(AP) -- South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says she will not restrict her appointment to the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jim DeMint to someone who doesn't plan to run again in 2014.
In a statement released Monday, Haley said she wants voters to have a chance in 2014 to judge the person she appoints. The governor also says appointing a caretaker to the seat could limit the new senator's effectiveness since the lawmaker would have promised to serve only about two years.
DeMint announced last week that he would resign at the end of the year and take over The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. An election will then be held in 2014 to cover the final two years of DeMint's term.
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