Skip to content

Florida: Precedent For Gov. Crist’s Unusual Appointment?

Florida Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is in an unusual situation. He has to choose an interim replacement for Republican Mel Martinez, who will soon resign the Senate seat that Crist previously announced he will seek in the 2010 election.

CQ Photo

Charlie Crist (CQ/Scott J. Ferrell)

Some political risk attaches to the appointment: Crist faces a determined challenger in the 2010 Republican primary from state Rep. Marco Rubio, who is running as a more faithful conservative than the governor. Martinez’s successor will serve for about 16 months, and Crist’s choice could signal how the governor would act or vote as a senator himself.

That got me wondering: are there other cases in which a governor made an interim appointment to a Senate seat that he or she was already making plans to seek?

Recent Stories

Is 2024 the year for a third-party candidate to break through with dissatisfied voters?

White House goes at ‘MAGA’ Boebert over opposition to Biden agenda in Colorado

Speaker Mike Johnson invokes ‘reason for the season’ at Capitol Christmas Tree lighting

Celeste Maloy sworn in; House now at full capacity

Biden pick for Social Security chief OK’d by Senate panel

Capitol Lens | Air apparent