All articles tagged with #senate vacancy
President Trump's nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin to lead Homeland Security will leave Oklahoma with an unexpected Senate vacancy. Under state law, Gov. Kevin Stitt would appoint Mullin's replacement, who cannot run in the next election, likely setting off a GOP-leaning race with potential contenders such as Reps. Kevin Hern, Stephanie Bice and former Speaker T.W. Shannon.
Kentucky lawmakers have passed a bill that would remove the Democratic governor's role in selecting a replacement for a U.S. Senate seat vacancy, instead calling for a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the unexpired term. The bill, which could take effect immediately if enacted into law, has been denounced by Governor Andy Beshear as driven by partisanship. The move comes amid speculation about the future of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's seat, with McConnell leaving open the possibility of seeking another term in 2026.
The Kentucky House has passed a bill calling for a special election to fill any U.S. Senate vacancy in the state, effectively removing the Democratic governor's role in the decision. The move comes amid speculation about the future of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's seat, following his announcement to step down from his leadership position. The governor has criticized the bill as driven by partisanship, and could potentially veto it, although Republicans hold a supermajority in the legislature. This legislation follows a previous measure that limited the governor's power to temporarily fill a Senate seat, and has sparked debate over the appropriate process for filling such vacancies.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has refused to commit to following a state law that would allow Republicans to choose a replacement for Senator Mitch McConnell if he were to leave Congress before the end of his term. Beshear stated that there is currently no Senate vacancy and that McConnell has expressed his intention to serve out his term. The governor's comments come amid increasing scrutiny of McConnell's health after he appeared to freeze up during recent news conferences. State laws regarding filling congressional vacancies vary, and Kentucky's General Assembly changed its procedures in 2021 to limit the governor's power in temporarily filling a Senate vacancy.