College of Charleston political science professor and dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences Gibbs Knotts examines how vacant U.S. Senate seats are filled in an article for The Conversation.
Knotts writes about how states replace U.S. senators who vacate their seats or who die while in office.
“In 37 states, gubernatorial appointees serve the remainder of the term or until the next scheduled general election,” Knotts explains. “In the remaining states with gubernatorial appointments, special elections are required, often with an accelerated timetable.”
