Frankens seat is up for grabs in 2018

[Cattledog]

So says Minn. public radio. "Senator Al Franken is resigning tomorrow. Governor Mark Dayton, a Democrat, will name his successor who will serve until the mid-term elections in 2018."

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

1. I've been trying to tell people that.

It's NOT 2020. It's 2018. And THAT seat only lasts 2 years to the full end of the term. They have to run again in 2020.

[geardaddy]

3. So, we'd be voting for both senators in 2018.

Doesn't seem right. Aren't they supposed to be staggered?

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

4. They will be. In 2020 again.

The one who wins the seat in 2018 that was Franken's gets to serve for 2 years. And then run again.

[geardaddy]

5. Hmmm.

That sounds like it could be a disaster for us.

[geardaddy]

2. Except that would mean both seats would be up for grabs

Since Klobuchar's term ends in 2018. I would think that it wouldn't be kosher to have two senate races during the same election.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

6. It's not a coincidence that Norm Coleman was in DC today.

Tangeranus nearly won the state. Lost only by 1.5%.

Coleman's gonna run again. Count on it. And we could very well lose both seats in 2018 at this rate.

[geardaddy]

9. Fuck.

And ol' Norm can grope as many women as he wants and won't resign.

[geardaddy]

12. Then we should remind the people of this little nugget

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2008/10/29/646076/-

[StevieM]

7. It doesn't matter. Both will be up for grabs. This happened before, in 1978.

Walter Mondale had become vice-president. The governor, Wendell Anderson, resigned and had his lt. governor, Rudy Perpich, appoint him to the seat. The voters did not appreciate that. Both men lost in 1978.

The Democrats also lost the other U.S. Senate seat. Actually, it was the other seat that was being decided in a year when it normally wouldn't have been. Hubert Humphrey died in January 1978 and his appointed successor had to defend the seat in the next election cycle, rather than wait until the seat was up in 1982.

Something similar happened in 1994 when the Democrats went from controlling the governorship and both Senate seats in Tennessee to losing all three of them. Fred Thompson took Al Gore's old seat. And James Sasser, who was being considered for Senate majority leader, lost to Bill Frist.

[geardaddy]

8. Thanks

I remember when HHH died, didn't they appoint his wife Muriel to the Senate to serve out his term?

[StevieM]

10. Yes she did. And, actually, Humphrey died in January 1978, not 1977. I edited my previous post.

She didn't seek the seat in the special election, she just served until a successor was elected in November. Winners of special elections, even ones that wait until November of an election year to take place, are sworn in almost immediately. They don't have to wait until January to be sworn in with the rest of the newly elected senators.

[OliverQ]

11. Wonder how much money Dayton is being offered to seat a Republican.