Texas Lynn
06-05-2007, 03:22 PM
Senator Craig Thomas of Wyoming has died. He was re-elected in 2006 and two days later announced he had leukemia. Thomas was pretty conservative but low key. He was not a prick. He was a Methodist, like the guy who preceded him in the House from Wyoming, Dick Cheney.
I'm wopndering though if they have a state law that says if a Senator dies the Gubernatorial appointee for the remainder of the term must be of the same party. They have a Democratic Governor but news reports today said he must appoint "one of three Republicans named by the state party" so it does sound like it's by statute. Often, when a Senator dies and the Governor of his or her state is of the other party, it means a pickup for the Governor's party.
Wyoming's an interesting, weird, small state. Very beautiful not counting the strip mines. It has Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Devil's Tower. It's the setting of Brokeback Mountain and where Matthew Sheppard was killed.
The last Democratic Senator they had, Gale McGee, was defeated in 1976. They've had a couple of moderate-to-conservative Democratic Governors since then. The At-Large House Seat was Cheney's, then Thomas's, and now Barbara Cubin's but she almost got beat in 2006. The other Senator is Mike Enzi, also a conservative Republican who's not a firebrand. One former Senator, Alan Simpson, is pretty moderate and shows up on the pundit shows now and again. Another, Malcolm Wallop, is a horse breeder who had The Queen visit him at his ranch there.
Anyhow, prayers for the Thomas family and any info about the succession process in Wyoming is appreciated.
I'm wopndering though if they have a state law that says if a Senator dies the Gubernatorial appointee for the remainder of the term must be of the same party. They have a Democratic Governor but news reports today said he must appoint "one of three Republicans named by the state party" so it does sound like it's by statute. Often, when a Senator dies and the Governor of his or her state is of the other party, it means a pickup for the Governor's party.
Wyoming's an interesting, weird, small state. Very beautiful not counting the strip mines. It has Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Devil's Tower. It's the setting of Brokeback Mountain and where Matthew Sheppard was killed.
The last Democratic Senator they had, Gale McGee, was defeated in 1976. They've had a couple of moderate-to-conservative Democratic Governors since then. The At-Large House Seat was Cheney's, then Thomas's, and now Barbara Cubin's but she almost got beat in 2006. The other Senator is Mike Enzi, also a conservative Republican who's not a firebrand. One former Senator, Alan Simpson, is pretty moderate and shows up on the pundit shows now and again. Another, Malcolm Wallop, is a horse breeder who had The Queen visit him at his ranch there.
Anyhow, prayers for the Thomas family and any info about the succession process in Wyoming is appreciated.