Wait a minute here.
Cunningham would have been up for re-election anyway. So why does Bilbray have to "fill out the term?"
This is a whole new election cycle, no?
He just fills out Cunninham's remaining term.
He wasn't up for re-election in June. Since his seat is now vacant, a special election was held to fill it until November.
The people of San Diego need an interim representative, doesn't make sense they should go without a congressman just because of Cunningham going to jail. Same thing happens if a congressman dies while in office.
The winner here fils the seat til November.
Our Georgia republican Senator Paul Coverdale died while in office. The Democrat governor appointed former Democrat Governor Zell Miller to finish up Coverdale's term, and the rest is history.
I don't think most folks here realize that there were two elections going on in te 50th district. One a run off to fill out the vacant seat and the other republican and democrat primaries to choose the party nominees for the november elections.
Bilbray is winning the "runoff" and he is also winning the republican primary. Busby is coming in second in the run off and winning the democrat primary.
Theoretically Bilbray could have won the runoff and lost the primary meaning he would be out of a job come December 31.