A former special election candidate for the Massachusetts House and veteran state government administrator has been appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick to head the Department of Telecommunications and Cable. Patrick on Tuesday appointed Karen Charles to become the next commissioner of the DTC, where she currently works as chief of staff. Charles ran in the Democratic primary for the 5th Suffolk District seat this past spring, ultimately won by Rep. Evandro Carvalho. She has also worked in the Patrick administration as chief of staff at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation, and the MBTA. Charles is close friends with former Patrick political advisor Charlotte Golar Richie, who Patrick recently named as a Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination commissioner, and they have supported each other politically - Golar Richie ran for mayor of Boston in 2013.