Source:
Ballot Access NewsJanuary 14th, 2008
On January 14, a Mississippi Circuit judge ruled that the state must hold a special election to fill Trent Lott’s U.S. Senate seat before March 19, 2008. The ruling came after 5 pm. The case is State ex rel Hood v Barbour, 251-08-02-cv, Hinds County.
The lawsuit involved an interpretation of Mississippi law regarding vacancies in the U.S. Senate. Lott resigned in December 2007. The law’s intent seems to be that special elections for U.S. Senate should be held within 90 days of the vacancy, unless the state is about to hold a regularly-scheduled statewide election. The legislator who wrote the law didn’t seem to think about what would happen if the vacancy occurred in November or December of an election year. 2007 was a statewide election year in Mississippi; all state offices were up then.
The case will almost certainly be appealed very quickly to the State Supreme Court. Democrats tend to want an election soon; Republicans tend to hope that there will be no special election until November 2008. That is because Governor Barbour, a Republican, appointed Roger Wicker to the seat, and both Barbour and Wicker would prefer that there be no election for ten months ...
Read more:
http://www.ballot-access.org/2008/01/14/mississippi-judge-rules-that-special-us-senate-election-must-be-held-in-march/
Judge overturns special election date to replace Lott
By SHELIA BYRD
Associated Press Writer
RAYMOND, Miss. -- A Hinds County circuit judge has thrown out a special election date set by the governor to replace retired U.S. Sen. Trent Lott.
Judge Bobby DeLaugther ruled late Monday that Gov. Haley Barbour erred when he set the special election for Nov. 4.
State law requires him to set the election for 90 days after Lott's retirement if it does not fall in the same year as a general election, according to Attorney General Jim Hood. Lott retired Dec. 18, after November's general election.
Hood's complaint said state law required the election to be held before March 19.
Both sides made their arguments in front of DeLaughter on Monday and he issued his ruling around 6 p.m. DeLaughter said he believes the Mississippi Supreme Court will eventually have to rule on the special election date, something Hood hoped to avoid ...
http://www.sunherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/299410.htmlThree qualify to run for Lott's seat
Four House seats up for grabs
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted on Sat, Jan. 12, 2008
... Three high-profile candidates qualified to run Friday for Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat that is being filled by a special election. Republican Roger Wicker wants to retain the seat he got by appointment on Dec. 31 after the resignation of the GOP's Trent Lott. The two Democrats who signed up to run are former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and former U.S. Rep. Ronnie Shows.
Cochran is unopposed for his party's nomination in his race. The two Democrats who signed up for their party's Senate primary, former state Rep. Erik Fleming of Clinton and perennial candidate Shawn O'Hara, have lost statewide elections after failing to raise enough cash to run effective campaigns.
Friday was candidates' qualifying deadline for the Senate seats and for four Mississippi U.S. House seats. Party primaries are March 11 and the general election is Nov. 4 ...
http://www.sunherald.com/218/story/295365.html
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