John Kerry's nomination as President Barack Obama's new secretary of state sailed through the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, as his fellow senators voted overwhelmingly to confirm him to replace Hillary Clinton as the country's top diplomat. The vote was 94-3 in favor. The two senators from Texas, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, and Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, all Republicans, were the only no votes. Kerry, the senior Democratic senator from Massachusetts, voted "present." Kerry's confirmation as the first new member of Obama's second-term national security team had been expected. The Senate agreed to vote five days after his hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. That panel, which he has chaired for the past four years, voted unanimously by voice vote earlier on Tuesday to back his nomination. The confirmation sets in motion what is expected to be a closely contested special election for Kerry's Senate seat. The Boston Globe reported on Monday that Massachusetts' Democratic governor, Deval Patrick, would announce an interim senator on Wednesday and had set a special election for June 25, after a primary on April 30. Kerry, 69, a five-term senator and losing presidential candidate in 2004, is expected to be sworn in as secretary of state this week. Clinton's last day at the State Department is Friday.