When a U.S. Senator dies or becomes incapacitated, how is his or her seat filled?

mscorpion

The Seventeenth Amendment provides that vacancies in the Senate, however they arise, may be filled by special elections. A special election for a Senate seat need not be held immediately after the vacancy arises; instead, it is typically conducted at the same time as the next biennial congressional election. If a special election for one seat happens to coincide with a general election for the state's other seat, then the two elections are not combined, but are instead contested separately. A senator elected in a special election takes office immediately and serves until the original six-year term expires, and not for a full term. Furthermore, the amendment provides that any state legislature may empower the Governor to temporarily fill vacancies. The interim appointee remains in office until the special election can be held. All states have passed laws authorizing the Governor to make temporary appointments; however, Alaska voters repealed that authorization for their Governor by ballot initiative in 2004. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate Sometime, I think, they ask the spouse or one of their children to take over until the next election. Jun 28 08, 6:50 PM