According to this story, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin now favors a special election for U.S. Senate in November 2010, to fill the vacancy created when Senator Robert Byrd died last month. Manchin will ask the Attorney General to issue an opinion on whether the existing law requires such a special election. If the opinion says the existing law does not require a special election, Manchin will probably ask the special session of the legislature to amend the law to provide for a special election.
Chances are, though, that the Attorney General will say the existing law does require a special election. The existing law explicitly says a special election for U.S. Senate should be held if an incumbent U.S. Senator dies or otherwise leaves the Senate more than six months before the start of the next session of Congress. The only reason the Secretary of State expressed an opinion against a special election is that the law doesn’t explain how major parties can choose a nominee, because this year’s primary has already been held.
This would be a bad decision. 2010 could be a horrible year for the Democrats and to take a chance at losing another seat during these tough economic times would be a big mistake. Someone should be appointed to serve til 2012 and than there will be time for both sides to run a campaign. I like Governor Manchin, and think he may win in 2010, but Fox news and all the GOP operatives are getting excited.
After the Scott Brown victory in Mass. no Democratic seat is safe this year. Once the horror of 2010 is over, I think things will improve, and people will see what a great president Obama is.
Please wait until 2012 because we are going to be spending billions on the midterms; if the election is in 2010 Millions of out of state money will fund this race from big corporations.
Special election — No primaries.
Equal nominating petitions.
Approval Voting – vote for 1 or more, highest win.
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The U.S.A. Senate is THE most ANTI-Democracy part of the U.S.A. regime — the 3 gerrymander structures – House, Senate, Prez/VP E.C.
How many MORON States do NOT have 100 percent LAWS for filling U.S.A. House and Senate vacancies ???
Total party hack outrageous — House since 1789, Senate since 1914.
With no time for minor party and independent candidates to collect ballot access signatures (or raise the $1800 filing fee for that matter), expect a lot of write-ins for any November 2010 special election. Write-ins are free in the Mountain State with the only requirement being a notarized application form by September 21.
Jesse Johnson of the Mountain Party (ran against Byrd and John Raese in 2006) is already running for House of Delegates, so don’t even expect any of them to get in this.
We already have a US District Court decision from West Virginia in 2000 that shrunk the number of signatures for Ralph Nader, on the grounds that the normal petitioning time was truncated because the 1999 legislature doubled the number of signatures. If there is going to be a US Senate election in West Virginia, the state will need to shrink the number of signatures.
1. Dave Farley …… This would be a bad decision. 2010 could be a horrible year for the Democrats and to take a chance at losing another seat during these tough economic times would be a big mistake. [Lake: AND WHY]??????
……….. and people will see what a great president Obama is.
[a] Obama, my Yokohoma Momma ?????????
[b] The con artist that speaks of ‘change’ and then envisions the coins in the sofa cushions ????????
[c] I like Governor Manchin, and think he may win in 2010, but Fox news and all the GOP operatives are getting excited……. Huh ??????
[d] Wins a Nobel Peace Prize —– while playing W, ‘the third term’!
[e] Blew it on Home Land security / national safety on the latest air plane bomber!
[f] undue interference of voting procedures
[g] BP disaster while at direct command of the greatest armed forces and submarine fleet in history. In direct influence on every other modern navy on the planet!
[h] duplicitous bull shitter
[i] he ain’t no BUSH League President, but he is in same corner of steer manure land!
Please wait until 2012 because we are going to be spending billions on the midterms; if the election is in 2010 Millions of out of state money will fund this race from big corporations.
[a] no !
With Ballot Status that means the Green Party will have a candidate…
The Mountain Party has lots of good people..
I do expect them to run one of them…
It’s a great opportunity..
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