I do not think that Springfield in in Wyoming.
Posted on 06/06/2007 10:41:44 AM PDT by trumandogz
WASHINGTON - Wyoming Republicans have just 15 days to choose possible replacements for the late Sen. Craig Thomas (news, bio, voting record), a decision that could have an impact on the balance of power in the Senate in 2009.
No Democrat has represented the state in the Senate since 1977. But Thomas' immediate successor will set in motion Democratic efforts to stage an upset next year, when voters will elect a permanent replacement for the senator. The vacancy gives Republicans one more seat to defend as they attempt to reclaim their Senate majority.
Thomas died Monday night after suffering for months from leukemia. Lawmakers in Washington and Wyoming spent much of Tuesday eulogizing Thomas, who is survived by his wife, Susan, and four children. A public service is scheduled Saturday in Casper, Wyo., with burial set for Sunday in Cody, Wyo.
Several of his Senate colleagues praised him Tuesday in emotional speeches from the Senate floor. Wyoming's other senator, Republican Mike Enzi, said Thomas lived as he died, "with his spurs on."
Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal officially notified the GOP of Thomas' death on Tuesday, and state Republicans now have just over two weeks to convene and choose three nominees. Once Freudenthal receives those names, he has five days to choose one.
The new senator will serve until the next general election, in 2008, when a special election will be held to determine who completes Thomas' term, which runs through 2012.
One candidate who does not want to be considered for the seat is the state's only member of the House, Republican Rep. Barbara Cubin (news, bio, voting record). "She was elected to serve Wyoming in the House and that's where she will remain," said her spokeswoman, Alison McGuire.
So far, the only person to express interest is Randall Luthi, a former Wyoming House speaker who is now deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "It would be an honor, an absolute honor, to try to replace him," Luthi said.
Another possible contender, Colin Simpson, a state representative and son of former Sen. Alan Simpson, declined to say whether he was interested, as did Wyoming Secretary of State Max Maxfield, who also said he found it "absolutely appalling" that someone called him trying to drum up support for a candidate he didn't name.
"I'm not even going to give it a thought until the appropriate time," Maxfield said.
Newly elected state GOP Chairman Fred Parady said he wants the process to be "exhaustive and fair" and that national Republicans weren't pressuring him.
"It's a Wyoming decision. We're going to keep it that way," Parady said.
Democrats and Republicans each have 49 members in the 100-member Senate. Two independents vote and organize with Democrats, giving them the slim majority they presently hold. Sen. Tim Johnson (news, bio, voting record), D-S.D., has been recovering from major illness and has not participated in Senate activities in months.
Thomas, a low-key conservative who often focused on energy and public lands issues, was hospitalized with pneumonia just before the 2006 election. He won with 70 percent of the vote, monitoring the election from his hospital bed. Just after the election, he announced he had leukemia.
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After that Freudenthal who received 70% of the vote when he has elected governor can then run for the Senate Seat in 2008.
In the end this will be a Dem, pick-up.
Prayers for Sen. Thomas and his family.
Lyn Cheney?
How about Dick Cheney? And Duncan Hunter can be named VP.
Lynn is not mentioned as a choice but I imagine that she could beat Freudenthal in 2008.
I am not sure about the other candidates but the current governor looks hard to beat.
I do not think that Cheney at his age and with his new grandchild would want to sign up for a six year term in the Senate.
If the shoes were on the other foot I bet the AP would be looking at every possible way to stop it.
The AP is a disgusting organization and only representative of the media today.
Choose well Wyoming.
As I understand it, the GOP will provide the Governor with three selections and the Governor has five days to choose one candidate among the three.
As I understand it, the GOP will provide the Governor with three selections and the Governor has five days to choose one candidate among the three.
As I understand it, the GOP will provide the Governor with three selections and the Governor has five days to choose one candidate among the three.
If they include a weaker candidate, and he picks the weak candidate, and it’s clear he picked the weakest candidate, the people of Wyoming will rightly ask why the governor chose someone who wasn’t the BEST person to represent them.
Lyn Cheney would be an interesting choice, as would Dick. It would almost force the governor to chose whoever the 3rd name was, without it looking like the republicans picked weak candidates. Cheney would be a great Senator. Either of them.
I can see Lynn taking the seat but not Dick. Going from VP to a Jr. Senator would be one of the greatest demotions in the history of the world. Moreover, think the both Dick and Lynn want to spend more time with their new grandbaby.
If that were the case the WY GOP would have to answer to why they selected a weak candidate to begin with.
Well, whoever they pick, one of the three will be the weakest.
Well yes, that would be true.
Perhaps, it will work like when you see a group of three single women in a bar.
If you hit on the hottest, the other two will shoot you down.
If you hit in the ugliest, they will think you are a desperate loser and shoot you down.
The trick is to hit on the one in the middle. No one will be offended or jellous and you won’t be shot down by either the hot or uglier woman. If it does not work out right away the middle girl may steer you to the hot one if you are lucky.
The Gov. will pick the second best candidate and then run against him and beat him in 2008.
Doesn't Alan Simpson have four adult kids...?
I do not think that Springfield in in Wyoming.
WY has elected mostly rodent Governors for the past 33 years (only Geringer was a Republican), but any efforts by Freudenthal to try to enhance his chances to win a Senate seat may blow up in his face. If he chooses a weak Republican, the GOP could merely take them out in the special primary next year (as Sam Brownback did with RINO appointee Sheila Frahm in KS when Bob Dole resigned in 1996). It may also not be appreciated by the voters if he tries to leave mid-term (and the national party may not like it, because if he goes to the Senate, the Republicans get the Governorship). Ben Nelson tried that in Nebraska when he was the sitting Governor and lost to Hagel.
A popular Democrat Governor tried to run for the Senate against Craig Thomas in 1994 and handily lost. A lot of these heavily one party states will tolerate a Governor of a minority party, but not with federal officeholders. It’s often been why the GOP has Governors in places like Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Vermont, and the rodents in Arizona, Kansas, and Wyoming, but all those states send members of the opposite majority party to the Senate. Freudenthal may realize any attempts to move to federal office will be the end of his career.
“Freudenthal may realize any attempts to move to federal office will be the end of his career.”
They may have a 2-term limit now, but he has to realize that making the jump to DC as a Democrat from where is now is going to be extremely difficult. I wouldn’t expect him to run for state AG, either, as it is really isn’t a particularly high-profile job (and it’s a career dead-end in the state).
The only statewide Republican to have had a really close race was Cubin, and that’s solely because of her own personal unpopularity. I just think Freudenthal is the Wyoming version of Alaska’s Tony Knowles, and any race for federal office will fall short for him. Freudenthal’s best bet is to root for a Democrat to win the WH in ‘08 and to get a job in the administration, most likely a judicial position in the federal circuit court. He was previously Clinton’s U.S. Attorney for WY.
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