Ron Paul Republican Wins State Senate Race, Eyeing Joe Biden's US Senate Seat

[AbolishTheGovt]

Ron Paul-endorsed Republican candidate Colin Bonini wins State Senate race in Delaware, and apparently is looking at running for Joe Biden's soon-to-be-vacated US Senate seat.

http://www.rlc.org/2008/11/05/rlc-election-results/

[gls]

Ron Paul-endorsed Republican candidate Colin Bonini wins State Senate race in Delaware, and apparently is looking at running for Joe Biden's soon-to-be-vacated US Senate seat.

http://www.rlc.org/2008/11/05/rlc-election-results/

I was under the impression that the state's governor (in Deleware's case a Democrat) was responsible for filling vacated seats with appointments. Will there be a special election instead?

[WRellim]

I was under the impression that the state's governor (in Deleware's case a Democrat) was responsible for filling vacated seats with appointments. Will there be a special election instead?

Biden was just re-elected (2008). So there is a full-term left to fill.

In a lot of states (not sure about Delaware) when there is 1/2 or more of the term left they make an appointee for the short term (typically a year or two) and then run a special election to fill out the rest of the term (and in some states they only do the appointments if the remaining term is less than a year).

So, yes, in all likelihood there will be a special election (but again, depends on Delaware law).

Update -- According to Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden#2008_Senate_candidacy ):
Having won both races, Biden will resign from the Senate before Inauguration Day – January 20, 2009, assuming he chooses to become Vice President. Delaware's Democratic governor, Ruth Ann Minner, or possibly her successor, Jack Markell, will then appoint someone else to serve the first two years of his term. There has been speculation in the media as to who the appointee might be.
And then apparently a special election would be held in 2010 to produce an elected Senator to fill the remaining 4 years (though obviously the "appointee" will have the mantle of "incumbency" about them then).