How Will Thomas' Senate Seat Be Filled? We Explain Wyoming Election Law

[babylonsister]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jun/05/how_will_thomas_senate_seat_be_filled_we_explain_wyoming_election_law

How Will Thomas' Senate Seat Be Filled? We Explain Wyoming Election Law
By Eric Kleefeld | bio

So how will the vacancy in the Senate created by the death of GOP Senator Craig Thomas be filled?

The election laws of Wyoming, available here, lay it out. Let us explain.

First, it should be noted that the laws are designed to keep an office in the same party as a deceased or resigned incumbent. Wyoming does have a Democratic Governor, popular two-termer Dave Freudenthal, and he does have the power to appoint a new Senator, but the office is nevertheless going to stay in GOP hands thanks to the peculiarities of Wyoming election law, which have a process in place designed to restrict who the Governor can appoint.

The law stipulates that the state GOP's central committee has 15 days to hold a special meeting, at which they are required to select three candidates for the position. Those names must then be submitted to the Governor.

Freudenthal will then have five days to pick one of those three people to serve as a Senator until the next general election, which of course is in 2008. Candidates from any party can run in that election, and the winner of it will then serve out the rest of Thomas' term, through the 2012 election.

This system actually can be gamed for advantage by both sides in interesting ways. Obviously, the state GOP would want to see someone appointed who could easily hold the seat in 2008. So the GOP will pick the three strongest candidates it can. On the other hand, if Freudenthal thinks a Democratic pick-up is at all possible, he might appoint the weakest of the three names he's given, because a Dem could more easily defeat that person next year.

One side point worth considering: Wyoming is a heavily Republican state, with many GOP officeholders at the state and local level. And a Senate vacancy doesn't pop up every day. So a whole lot of people might be interested in having their names on the list, or challenging the interim Senator in the 2008 primary. So things could get very messy.

And of course, there is one Democrat who has proven he can win 70% of the vote in the state: Governor Freudenthal. Unless he says otherwise, it cannot be ruled out that he might run for Senate in 2008, against the same person he will appoint in the coming weeks.

[peekaloo]

1. Are pistol duels an option?

:evilgrin: