To:Blue In AK: Can Palin appoint Steven's replacement? n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

[johnnydrama]

1. don't think so

After Murkowski appointed his daughter, Alaska changed the law to have a special election 60-90 days afterwards.

The one thing I can't find is if it was signed into law, or just proposed, but I think it was probably signed.

[Blue_In_AK]

14. It's a statute

AS 15.40.140. Condition and Time of Calling Special Election.

When a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator or United States representative, the governor shall, by proclamation, call a special election to be held on a date not less than 60, nor more than 90, days after the date the vacancy occurs. However, if the vacancy occurs on a date that is less than 60 days before or is on or after the date of the primary election in the general election year during which a candidate to fill the office is regularly elected, the governor may not call a special election.

[Amy6627]

2. A little something from Freerepublic:

To: pabianice
Interesting.

Backup plan for Gov. Palin.

If McCain loses the election and Stevens wins the Senate.

Stevens could then resign and Gov. Palin could appoint herself to the Senate.

Just something to think about.

[Cattledog]

9. That would be a DIVA nightmare!

But it would never happen.

[Blue_In_AK]

17. Can't happen.

It's not lawful. Hate to burst their bubble. :evilgrin:

[ColbertWatcher]

19. Hey, I tried. n/t

[VeraAgnes]

18. Hillary would get to

do a real "throwdown" with Sarah then.

[Amy6627]

20. Never say never! What if W. pardons Stevens, then he could

resign and THEN she could appt. herself.


I found the other post at freepland, it was from a Stevens post over there. You should check it out, they are (just incase you didn't already know!) INSANE!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2116753/posts

Here another very insightful post:

To: pabianice
so what. just get out and vote and get our candidate in the white house. otherwise we may as well go live in cuba.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

3. If he's convicted, yes.

The replacement will serve either until January, if Stevens loses the election, or until 2010 if he wins the election.

On edit -- I was not aware of the special election law proposed above, I'm just giving the general Constitution model.

[MNDemNY]

11. No. A speacial election is the only way to fill a vacancy in AK.

[MNDemNY]

4. Not according to Alaska Staute 15.40.140

[Blue_In_AK]

5. No.

AS 15.40.140. Condition and Time of Calling Special Election.

When a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator or United States representative, the governor shall, by proclamation, call a special election to be held on a date not less than 60, nor more than 90, days after the date the vacancy occurs. However, if the vacancy occurs on a date that is less than 60 days before or is on or after the date of the primary election in the general election year during which a candidate to fill the office is regularly elected, the governor may not call a special election.


---------

With the rather unusual circumstance we have this close to the election, there's been some speculation that the Republican Party people here would replace Ted's name on the ballot, but it's kind of late for that to do any good, and I can't think of any other Republican in the state right now that would have the cachet or whatever to defeat Mark Begich at this late stage. It couldn't be Sarah, in any event, because she's already running for VP.


I think we can safely assume it will be Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK).

[ColbertWatcher]

12. Thank you BLUE IN AK! n/t

[arcos]

6. NO... Stevens will lose next week...

And even if he wins and resigns, the Governor no longer appoints the replacement, as Blue in AK explained in the other thread.

[ColbertWatcher]

7. HEY! NONE OF YOU PEOPLE ARE BLUE IN AK! n/t

[arcos]

13. If you don't want anyone else answering, send a PM...

Otherwise, everyone can reply. :)

[ColbertWatcher]

15. Blue was the one giving the right answer in all the other threads! n/t

[DS1]

16. I'm AKing vicariously

[ColbertWatcher]

21. LOL! n/t

[Winterblues]

8. No the Governor can not appoint anyone to Congress

Murkowski appointed his own daughter and that pissed enough people off they changed the law. Now the Governor has to hold a special election.

[SoCalDem]

22. She will run...and she will be elected..

Having 4 years in the senate would provide her with the "gravitas" she would need to run on her own in '12.....

She's had a taste of real fame & adulation by her fundy-peeps, and she's not eager to return to be track-suit Barbie of the North..

[Winterblues]

23. The Senate is for six years and she may run in 2014 but I think she

would rather be the Republican candidate for President in 2012. I am fairly certain Nick Begich will be the Senator from Alaska.

[SoCalDem]

24. the 6 yr senate seat works perfectly for her..

she runs in year 4 of her 6 yr term...that way she's got nothing to lose..like she said :wink:

[onenote]

10. No. Alaska changed the law a couple of years ago

After Frank Murkowski was elected governor and appointed his daughter to his congressional seat, Alaskans passed a referendum taking the appointment power away from the governor. If a vacancy occurs, then the governor calls a special election (depending on the timing of the vacancy). The seat remains unfilled until the special election.

[WindRiverMan]

25. I can answer this .....NO!

It used to be that the governor could, but then Frank Murkowski selected his daughter (he quite the Senate and ran for governor and won) to his vacant senate seat. The next election, we Alaskans voted that a special primary must he held.

There will not be a special election. Stevens is running a tight race against the son of a former Congressmen, Mark Begich. Begich was a popular mayor and is an all around good guy. I think he will pull it out now in Alaska. It was close before. I expect Stevens to lose about three to five percent, and that will put Begich in over the top.