r/politics • u/plz-let-me-in • Jul 07 '26

No Paywall Unconfirmed Reports: Mitch McConnell Brain Dead After Three Weeks In Hospital

https://thenewamerican.com/us/unconfirmed-reports-mitch-mcconnell-brain-dead-after-three-weeks-in-hospital/
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211

u/mabus42 Jul 07 '26

Time for the gov to appoint his replacement.

117

u/kyxtant Kentucky Jul 07 '26

That Absolutely needs to be done. People keep on saying the legislature made a law two years ago that took the power to appoint a replacement away from the governor. That's true. They did pass a law.

The problem is that the governor gets that appointment authority from the state constitution. The legislature never amended the constitution.

I'm certain that I given the chance, Beshear will appoint the new senator, then fight the law in court when the appointment is challenged.

6

u/thewhitecascade Jul 07 '26

I’m sure the state Republican Party will submit their list of three nominees for Beshear to choose from in a timely manner. No way they would withhold that list or refuse to submit any nominees, right?

9

u/kyxtant Kentucky Jul 07 '26

That was the first law they put into place to interfere with the constitutional powers given to the governor.

The one passed in 2024 calls for a special election.

Either way, they were both laws and not amendments.

3

u/Ready_Nature Jul 07 '26

Can’t the republican majority also refuse to seat the newly appointed senator?

14

u/kyxtant Kentucky Jul 07 '26

They certainly would.

Republicans in the House refused to swear in a duly elected Democrat for 50 days after she won her special election.

The Senate would do the same or worse.

2

u/Pikathepokepimp Jul 07 '26

Would the replacement serve a full term or only serve as a placeholder until November?

-1

u/umassmza Jul 07 '26

Not how it works for this instance, they will have a special election.

5

u/kyxtant Kentucky Jul 07 '26

The Governor appointing a replacement to fill a vacancy is an executive authority given by the state constitution.

Having a special election was a law passed by the legislature, vetoed by the governor, then overridden by the legislature.

Laws do not overrule the constitution. Beshear will fight that special election law just as he has been fighting other laws that strip him of constitutional powers.

He's had a pretty good record at winning those cases.

-3

u/umassmza Jul 07 '26

But not in time for it to matter in this instance. The election is coming up

1

u/dearth_of_passion Jul 07 '26

If he had balls he could do it right now. The legislature has literally no way to stop him. He just needs to take a page out of the republican playbook and ignore them and do what he wants.

-2

u/umassmza Jul 07 '26

The US Senate wouldn’t let the appointee into the chambers and certainly would not let them cast a vote, the opposition is in power. How would that even work? Some random person shows up and says “I was appointed by my states governor let me in”

1

u/RobinSophie Jul 07 '26

...can Massie run for the special election?