How Mitch McConnell's Replacement Would Be Chosen
Ewan Palmer
4–5 minutes
As concerns grow about the health of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky state laws have already guaranteed his potential replacement will be a Republican.
The senator, 81, is facing calls to resign after he froze midsentence and appeared to trail off for several seconds during a press conference at the Capitol on Wednesday.
Questions regarding the health of McConnell, as well as other elected officials such as California Senator Dianne Feinstein, have been raised for months. McConnell suffered concussion following a fall at a D.C. hotel in March. NBC News reported that the Senate Minority Leader also fell while getting off a plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport earlier in July in Arlington, Virginia.
The Kentucky senator was led away by his fellow Republicans present at the conference on Wednesday before returning several minutes later and saying he was fine. Newsweek has contacted McConnell's office by email for comment.
While the political future of McConnell, whose term ends in 2027, is uncertain, the Kentucky legislator helped pass a law that ensures whoever replaces him, should he leave office early, will remain a Republican.
In 2021, the Republican-run Kentucky legislature voted to introduce a law that changes how the state would fill a vacant Senate seat in the case of death, illness, or any other reason for early departure. Previously, Kentucky's governor was able to choose who would fill the position from any political party. In this case, the decision would have been made by Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear.
However, following the passing of Senate Bill 228, the Kentucky governor would now have to pick a successor from the same party as the departed senator. This would be from a list of three names provided by the executive committee of the departing senator's state party.
A special election would then be held to determine who takes over the seat on a permanent basis, unless the vacancy occurs within three months of an already scheduled election.
more
https://www.newsweek.com/mitch-mcconnell-resign-kentucky-senate-replacement-1815692
