Barbour’s Proposed Special Election To Replace Lott May Violate Election Law
Barbour’s Proposed Special Election To Replace Lott May Violate Election Law
Earlier today, Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-MS) announced that he “will be retiring from the Senate by the end of the year.” Soon after the announcement, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) put out a statement declaring that “pursuant to Mississippi law,” he would “call a Special Election for United States Senator to be held on November 4, 2008″:
Pursuant to Mississippi law, specifically § 23-15-855 (1), of the Mississippi Code, once the resignation takes effect, I will call a Special Election for United States Senator to be held on November 4, 2008, being the regular general election day for the 2008 congressional elections.
If Lott does indeed retire by the end of 2007, as he says he wishes to do, Barbour’s proposed timing for the election might run afoul of state election law. According to the Mississippi secretary of state’s office, Barbour would have to hold the election before Nov. 2008:
While Lott sneaks in under the wire for the extended ban on lobbying Congress by retiring this year, the secretary of state’s office said Monday that state law appears to require a special election within 90 days if he does so.
Conversely, if Lott were to wait and retire in 2008, the law allows for the special election to be held the same day as the general. Of course, he would then be subject to the new two-year ban on lobbying his former colleagues, instead of the current one-year ban.
Because 2007 was a statewide election year, it “could affect how the language of the law is interpreted.” The secretary of state’s office is “checking that law to make sure the 90-day window still applies,” according to spokesman Kell Smith.
Barbour’s office, however, appears to not be concerned about the potential legal brouhaha, saying simply that the governor’s statement “speaks for itself.”
It is speculated that Lott is retiring now so that he can avoid tougher restrictions on former members of Congress’ lobbying activities, but if Lott leaves before 2007 and forces an earlier special election, he may threaten his party’s continued control of his seat:
An earlier special election would likely produce smaller turnout, which would probably benefit Democrats in an overwhelmingly GOP state with a concurrent presidential election.
Lott faces a tough decision: Sacrifice a year of cashing in on his Senate seat or potentially sacrifice his seat to his political opponents.
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33 Responses to “Barbour’s Proposed Special Election To Replace Lott May Violate Election Law”
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Big deal, just another vacant Lott in Mississippi.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:37 pmLott faces a tough decision: Sacrifice a year of cashing in on his Senate seat or potentially sacrifice his seat to his political opponents.
How is this a tough decision for lott? Put yourself in his place. He’s a Republican. On one hand, he gets to cash in early as a lobbyist but people who are not him have to work hardder to retain his seat. On the other hand, if he waits til ‘08, the state GOP retains his seat easily, but Trent has to sit out a whole extra year before cashing in.
Good for Trent, bad for others vs. Bad for Trent, good for others? Sounds like a no-brainer for any GOPer.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:38 pmLet him leave then with an extra demcrat senator , Ban lobbying
November 26th, 2007 at 5:39 pmThe governor of a state would allow 11 months to pass without a senator?
?!?
November 26th, 2007 at 5:39 pmWhy doesn’t Barbour skip the middle man and just appoint a replacement for Lott? I mean, this is what they want to do anyway.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:40 pmpeople actually live in mississippi?
November 26th, 2007 at 5:42 pmCold hard reality for Rape-Public-Cans is Lott is cutting and running Dec 31 so he can get his lucrative lobbying firm started.
If he waited until Jan 1, 2008 a special election would not be required to the advantage of the GOP. Glaring proof Lott is a self serving loathesome scumbag. Now watch GOP twist in the wind and spin this one.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:45 pmLott faces a tough decision: Sacrifice a year of cashing in on his Senate seat or potentially sacrifice his seat to his political opponents.
My bet…? He goes for the CASH.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:47 pmLouisiana unfortunately just elected a Republican Governor. Could that be of any assurance to Republican loons?
Let’s hope not.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:50 pmLocal AZ news says Kyl will replace Lott as the Whipper. Kyl is no improvement.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:55 pmBigheaddc.com had a story on their site a short while ago that Lott abruptly quit because of yet another looming sex scandal involving gay sex. The site is now “temporarily unavailable.” Btw, Lott is GOOD friends with Larry Craig.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:57 pmBadmoonman: We knew there was a new “skeleton” jumping out of Trent’s closet! Larry Craig & Trent Lott - what a lovely little couple they make, indeed.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:00 pmlet’s scour the net to see the real reason Trent the Toe Tapper is leaving so abruptly….
November 26th, 2007 at 6:01 pm#4, #5 The governor can appoint an interim senator, but most hold a special election within a certain period of time specified by law.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:02 pma Lott accomplished so little
November 26th, 2007 at 6:12 pmHey Mississippi voters: that’s what you get for voting for another corrupt Repub. Repubs have been using your racism and playing you like cheap fiddles for 40 years now. Will you ever learn?
November 26th, 2007 at 6:15 pmBenjamin Nicholas at http://www.bigheaddc.com/ indicates he was Trent Lott’s gay lover.
“Nicholas told Big Head DC today via e-mail that he didn’t want to go on the record to talk about his dealings with Lott, because, said Nicholas, “Trent is going through his fair share of scrutiny right now and I don’t want to add to it.†However, e-mail and other records confirm that the two have met on at least two occasions.”
November 26th, 2007 at 6:50 pmAnd the answer will be what the racist, classist governor wants it to be.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:54 pmHere are just some of Trent Lott’s potential future careers…
November 26th, 2007 at 7:03 pmYou cannot find bigger, more openly practicing racist than these useles phu(ks!! Way to go RePugniScums!! Keep it up, your party will be history soon!!!
November 26th, 2007 at 7:07 pmBarbour, being a repub, doesn’t care about election law. Neither does Lott and whichever repub that tries to takes his spot. They’ll do whatever they want. Bush has transformed this country from a Nation of Laws into a Procrastination of Laws.
November 26th, 2007 at 7:07 pmTracy2: “Lott’s seat is safe from ANY Democrat.”
Right. Like I said, will the voters of Mississippi ever learn? I’m guessing no, especially if you’re representative of Mississippi-style thinking.
November 26th, 2007 at 7:23 pmLott’s seat is safe from ANY Democrat.
Comment by Tracy2 — November 26, 2007 @ 7:21 pm
And your posts and the GOP are safe from any reason or morality.
November 26th, 2007 at 7:38 pmLott’s seat is safe from ANY Democrat.
no senator’s seat is safe while sen. craig’s still around
November 26th, 2007 at 7:40 pmIt makes no difference when they hold the elections. The racist, I mean, republic party is entrenched in that state like a noose in a tree.
November 26th, 2007 at 8:13 pmPasty, white, old men. Yuck.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:38 pmBartlebee you win the caption contest. Excellent my good man. LOL
November 26th, 2007 at 11:22 pmIf Sen. Lott resigns effective this year and Gov. Barbour still names a replacement the Senate should refuse to seat that replacement citing Mississippi law. Since the law is rather clear Barbour would be forced to back down and call a special election.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:18 amLott’s seat is safe from ANY Democrat.
Comment by Tracy2 — November 26, 2007 @ 7:21 pm
Of course, which is why Mississippi always places near the bottom in state educational rankings.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:57 amMaybe Trent Lott is retiring so he’ll have more time to march in gay pride parades across the country! Go girl!
November 27th, 2007 at 5:51 pmI wonder if they’ll replace gay-boy Trent Lott with another republican c**ksucker? Is there any other kind of republican?
November 27th, 2007 at 6:05 pmhttp://www.towleroad.com/2007/11/is-a-male-escor.html
November 27th, 2007 at 6:24 pmThe reason that happened is that BushCo managed to ethnically cleanse Louisiana of African Americans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Disaster capitalism (thanks Naomi Klein) at work: privatize the state (126 public schools in NOLA before Katrina, 4 now, with the rest private) and turn it red at the same time through ethnic cleansing. Bonus for the GOP in the 2008 election.
November 28th, 2007 at 4:52 pm