Committee hears bill to allow governor to appoint temporary U.S. senator pending special election

The House Committee on Rules on May 19 held a public hearing on Senate Bill 952A, which would permit the governor to appoint a temporary replacement to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate within 30 days of a vacancy and require a special election between 80 and 150 days after the vacancy. The appointment would expire when the successor elected in the special election takes office, and the bill would prohibit the governor from appointing themselves to the seat.

Senator Sarah Gelser (Gelser Blouin in the transcript) testified in support, saying Oregon is one of the few states without an appointment process and that temporary appointments preserve federal representation. "This bill is coming forward because Oregon remains 1 of only a handful of states that does not have a process to allow the governor to appoint a person into a vacant US senate seat," she said. Gelser also said the appointee must be a member of the party of the departing senator and that the Senate added an amendment to bar a governor from appointing themself.

State Senator James Ivory Manning Jr. also testified in support, calling the bill "open, transparent and fair" and arguing it preserves representation in Washington, D.C. Several committee members expressed skepticism about the bill's necessity; one member recalled a rapid special election in a prior vacancy and asked whether appointment authority was needed if a special election can be organized quickly.

Gelser responded that county clerks have told legislators that special elections can be difficult and expensive to organize on short notice, and that appointments give time to ensure fair competition and participation in the election process.

The public hearing concluded with no committee action recorded in the transcript during this meeting.