True North

WJAC is reporting that Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) has died at the age of 77.

Congressman John P. Murtha died Monday at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. At his bedside was his family.

Murtha, 77, was Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Breitbart reports that he had been suffering complications from recent gallbladder surgery.

Update: Allahpundit at Hot Air on replacing the late Rep. Murtha's seat:

A special election will be called within 60 days to fill Murtha’s seat for the rest of the year. The winner, obviously, will enjoy an incumbency advantage in November. It’s a jump ball:

With Murtha gone, however, the special election will be seriously contested. Murtha’s district is the only one in the country won by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004 and by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008, according to Republican sources, and that trend line coupled with the volatile national environment for Democrats ensures Republicans will heavily target the contest.