Business Leaders Lobby Biden on Veep Pick

[Celerity]

12. Massachusetts law dictates an election be held within 145-160 days of a Senatorial vacancy

https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vacancies-in-the-united-states-senate.aspx



https://malegislature.gov/laws/generallaws/parti/titleviii/chapter54/section140

The loser of the Markey/Kennedy race would be a shoo-in, or if Markey loses and decides to retire, perhaps Ayanna Pressley.


Vice President Warren? It can happen. Here's how:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/3/5/1924805/-Vice-President-Warren-It-can-happen-Here-s-how

I’ve read a bunch of people assuming that Elizabeth Warren can’t be Vice President, or be in the next President’s cabinet, because she’d be giving up a Senate seat to the GOP after Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker appoints a Republican. I’m here to tell you that it ain’t necessarily so. The mechanism is fairly simple — she can resign this year and be replaced this year.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (www.ncsl.org/...), Massachusetts is one of 14 states which replace their Senators via a special election. Massachusetts law — M.G.L.A. 54 §140 — says this: 145-160 days after vacancy occurs. If a vacancy occurs after April 10 but on or before the 70th day before the regular state primary, the office shall appear on the regular state primary ballot. If a vacancy occurs after that time, the office shall appear on the state election ballot that November.

Governor Baker could appoint a Republican upon her resignation, but in the mechanism above, there are two options: If she resigns between today and April 9, there would be a special election some time between July 28 and September 16. If she resigns between April 10 and June 23, her seat would be up for a special election held on Election Day to fill the rest of the term. In either case, the winner of the election would be sworn in immediately.

Warren’s resignation also solves a problem. Massachusetts is enduring a massively pointless primary fight between two strong Democrats — Incumbent Senator Ed Markey and Congressman Joseph Kennedy III. If Warren resigns, Kennedy can simply move over and run for this other seat, and everybody’s happy. Whoever Baker appoints would be a serious underdog to Rep. Kennedy. And it’s not like there’s a lot going to get done that Warren would be able to stop in the Senate the rest of 2020. The Senate has done virtually nothing but confirm judges the whole term.

snip