I think that Chip Pickering can have the appointment if he wants it, but he doesn’t really want it. If he sticks with that decision, it’s Roger Wicker.
But I’m not from Mississippi, so any feedback from a local Freeper would be much appreciated.
I’d love to help you, but I live in Oregon, now. ;o)
Keep reading the posts, though.
Some locals will show up.
There are a few who are very knowledgable wrt MS politics.
The more I think about it, the less sense it would make to appoint a sitting Congressman to the seat if the election has to be held within 100 days of the vacancy. Chip Pickering (or, God forbid, Roger Wicker) would have to resign from his House seat, and then (i) face a GOP primary that he possibly won’t win and (ii) run in a special general election that wouldn’t necessarily be a slam-dunk, and whether he wins or loses his House seat would be filled by the winner of a special election that would probably take place on the same day as the special Senate election. It would be better if Chip Pickering (or Wicker) runs for the Senate seat without having resigned from his House seat, which would mean that Governor Barbour should appoint a placeholder for the seat. I agree with DJ’s suggestion of Mayor Charles Evers as a reward for a lifetime of service to the equal protection of laws and other conservative ideals.
However, if Governor Barbour’s argument succeeds and he is able to call the special election for November 8, then it does make sense for him to appoint someone who would be the incumbent long enough to have the upper hand both in the primary and the general election. Perhaps Governor Barbour should set the Nov. 8 date for the special election soon after he receives the notice of vacancy (but not before Jan. 1) and try to get the case decided by the court in the next few days (since if the state AG’s interpretation of the statute prevailed an election date not later than early April would need to be called as soon as possible to allow for primary campaigns), and depending on how the courts rule appoint either Chip Pickering (if the special can be held in November) or Mayor Evers (if it must be held not later than early April) to the Senate seat.