Democrats accuse Republicans of trying to suppress the vote across America. But in California, Democrats actually ban voting to fill a vacancy in one of our most important offices: U.S. Senator.
That is hypocrisy, pure and simple.
A Republican lawmaker is trying to fix the autocratic practice. But he has no prayer with Democrats controlling both the legislative and executive branches of state government.
Of course, the GOP is equally guilty in other states – certainly even less so. Both major parties hold elections in their own self-interest, regardless of what may be best for the public. Shocks!
The recent Republican strategy, led by President Trump, has been to suppress the vote among Democrats. The GOP does this by discouraging postal voting, claiming without significant evidence that it leads to voter fraud. Nonsense.
Republicans also print on voter photo IDs. They are trying to reduce the voting time period and the number of places to cast ballots. They aggressively challenge people to vote. All to keep the turnout of voters.
The smaller the turnout, the greater the number of votes for GOP candidates, history shows. That’s because Republican voters tend to turn out the trend more reliably than Democrats.
That is why democratic legislators do not trust voters in special elections to fill the vacancies of the First Chamber. Special election turnovers are almost always much lower than in normal state elections. Democratic politicians are very happy to have a Democratic governor fill a vacancy in the House of Representatives without interference from voters.
And Republicans do the same thing in most states they control.
In all, 45 states authorize governors to fill Senate vacancies. In 36, including California, the nominee may serve the balance of the term of the First Chamber as until the next general election of the state.
But in nine, the gubernatorial nomination must meet voters in an expedited special election. That’s the way it should be in California, at least.
Five states – Oregon, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Wisconsin – require that each vacancy in the House of Representatives be filled by voters only. There’s this well in advance. That’s how it is for the other half of Congress, the House of Representatives; also in California law.
However, any vacancy in a statewide polling station may be filled by the governor, subject to legislative confirmation. A governor is also empowered to fill vacancies on provincial oversight boards.
The issue of Senate vacancies arose when California senior Kamala Harris essentially began running for president over the time she was sworn in after her 2016 election. Her candidacy ran, but she was immediately placed on Joe Biden’s shortlist of potential running mates.
In 2018, there were also speculations about whether the Democrats sen. Dianne Feinstein, who won reelection that year, would serve her term. She would be 91 when it expires. My bet is that she will.
Republican State Assemblyman Kevin Kiley of Rocklin, near Sacramento, introduced a bill in 2018 that required the governor to call a special election to fill a vacancy in the House of Representatives. It had one commission hearing and was assassinated on a party line vote. He is back this year with a similar bill and it has not even given a committee meeting.
“The whole idea of our system of government is that people should say who their senators are,” Kiley says. “With senators, it’s especially important because there are six-year terms without term limits and they can stay in place for decades.”
“Agreements are an anachronism,” he adds. ‘It’s time we put our selection of senators into the 21st ieu. “
Until 1913, U.S. senators were appointed by state lawmakers. The 17th Change required elections by voters. If there is a vacancy, the governor must call a special election. But there’s a hitch: the Legislature can authorize the governor to make a temporary appointment until the next election.
“The ability of a governor to appoint a senator has been greatly abused,” Kiley said, though not in California. Elsewhere, it has invited corruption and nepotism.
When Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois was elected president in 2008, Democratic Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich was caught trying to sell the low-ranking Senate. He went to federal prison for eight years until Trump pardoned him in February. That’s the same Trump who promised to turn “the swamp” of corruption in Washington.
Alaska’s Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski was appointed by her father, Frank Murkowski, who resigned from the House of Representatives in 2002 to become governor. In all honesty, she had some references as a state member.
In California, administrators have appointed five senators to fill vacancies since the 17th Change was confirmed.
In 1991, the Republican Gov. Pete Wilson for state senator John Seymour (R-Anaheim) to replace him in the senate. Seymour was easily ousted by Feinstein in the 1992 election.
In 1964, Democratic Gov. Pat Brown appointed former White House President Pierre Salinger to replace senior Clair Engle, who was fired and terminally ill. Salinger was beaten that November by actor George Murphy, a Republican.
Republican Gov. Earl Warren made two appointments to the House of Representatives: State Comptroller Thomas Kuchel to replace Senator Richard Nixon, who was elected vice president in 1952, and William F. Knowland of a family publisher for Oakland newspapers to fill. for Senam Hiram Johnson, who died in office.
The fifth appointment was in 1938 a short office maker: newspaper publisher Santa Barbara Thomas Storke. He served two months and retired.
There is a valid argument for not holding a special election to fill a vacant Senate seat. It’s expensive – about $ 100 million.
But democracy is not free. California taxpayers are sending Sacramento enough money to pay the bills.
