“Can a governor appoint himself senator to fill a vacant spot?”
“Not directly but he can in resign with the undstanding he will be appointed to the job by the Lt Gov. that replaces them. We had a Minnesota Gov do that in the 1970s or 80s.”
He can also leave the state on a trip so that the Lt. Gov. becomes Acting Governor, and the Lt. Gov. can thus appoint him to the Senate; in states where the Lt. Gov. does not become Acting Gov. automatically upon the Governor’s absence from the state, the Gov. can sign over his powers temporarily (because he’d be under the knife, for example). Not resigning gives the Governor something to fall back upon in case the Lt. Gov. double-crosses him.
Of course, getting yourself appointed to the Senate tends to be unpopular with the voters, and people who do that usually lose in the next election.
“Of course, getting yourself appointed to the Senate tends to be unpopular with the voters, and people who do that usually lose in the next election.”
That’s true, and I doubt that Barbour would be that foolish. Perhaps he can appoint state Treasurer Tate Reeves, who was the top vote-getter in the MS state elections this year.