The departure of four sitting Democratic senators this year has cast a new -- and at times, unflattering -- light on the nation's governors and their outsize power to fill Senate vacancies. While governors must call a special election to replace members of the House who resign or die before their term is up, 38 states allow governors the sole power to appoint an interim senator, according to the National Council of State Legislatures. Just nine states require a special election to fill a Senate vacancy. In three other states -- Hawaii, Utah and Wyoming -- governors must select a candidate from a list of prospective appointees submitted by representatives of the departing incumbent's political party. Choosing a new senator has led to considerable drama for the four governors tasked with doing so this year. All have weathered some level of opprobrium for their choices or for how they handled the selection, with one -- Rod Blagojevich of Illinois -- facing criminal charges for trying to barter President Barack Obama's former seat for cash and favors.
Please see my post # 7.