Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is raising eyebrows with many people speculating that the Kentucky Republican may be heading for retirement after he abruptly moved to ensure he is not replaced by a Democrat if he leaves Congress early.
In almost every state across the nation, the governor picks a replacement to serve out the remainder of a Senator’s term should they leave office early, for example, via resignation or death. The governor, an elected official, almost always chooses someone from his own party to serve, then the voters choose at the next election. However, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, McConnell suddenly wants to change that law in Kentucky, whose Kentucky governor is Democrat Andy Beshear.
McConnell has discussed the legislation with Republican State Senate President Robert Stivers and is “fully supportive of the measure,” McConnell spokesperson Robert Steurer said, according to the news outlet.
“Stivers’ proposal, introduced Wednesday as Senate Bill 228, would require the governor to pick someone who shares the same political party as the departing senator.”
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McConnell is 78. Some Democrats are wondering why this new legislation is being proposed now.
If the measure is approved, the governor will be required to choose someone from the outgoing Senator’s party. In other words, the replacement for a Senator who dies in office or resigns before their term ends would not really be chosen by an elected official, but by the party bosses.
