A Fetterman Resignation could Affect NJ Legislative Elections
The lead national political story yesterday was the news that Pennsylvania US Senator John Fetterman had voluntarily checked into Walter Reed Hospital for treatment of clinical depression. There are two responses already generated by this news.
The first is one of sympathy for Fetterman and his family. The second is concern for whether he will have the physical and mental fitness to serve the remainder of his term.
While certainly people on both sides of the political aisle will pray for Fetterman’s recovery, there will be intense concern for his fitness for continued US Senate service. In view of his past health problems, this is likely to result in increasing calls for his resignation.
If Fetterman resigns, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro will appoint a fellow Democrat to fill the vacancy. There is already speculation that the appointee would be former Congressman from Pittsburgh Conor Lamb, a centrist Democrat in the Shapiro mode. Another possibility would be one of the four women Democratic members currently representing Pennsylvania in the US House of Representatives.
Lamb was defeated in the 2022 Democratic primary, due to the backing that Fetterman, former Braddock mayor and populist received from Progressive Democratic voters. If Lamb receives a Shapiro appointment, it is unlikely that Progressive Democrats would mount a challenge to him in the party committee special election nominee process.
The Shapiro appointee for the US Senate vacancy would have to stand for reelection for the unexpired term in November, 2023. The last time such a vacancy occurred in Pennsylvania was in April, 1991, when Republican US Senator H. John Heinz III was killed in an aviation accident. The then Governor Bob Casey appointed fellow Democrat Harris Wofford in May, 1991 to fill the vacancy, and Wofford then defeated former Republican Governor Richard Thornburgh for the unexpired term in the November, 1991 special election.
Given the narrow 51-49 advantage the Democrats hold in the US Senate, a special US Senate election in Pennsylvania in 2023 would generate enormous campaign spending by the candidates and campaign committees of both political parties. Much of the spending would be on television commercials of a party generic nature, especially focused on the negative aspects of the opposite party. These commercials would be seen by voters in both Central and South Jersey.
Such generic television Pennsylvania advertising may only have a marginal impact in New Jersey elections. In very close New Jersey legislative races, however, even a marginal impact from Pennsylvania negative commercials could significantly affect an outcome.
The Fetterman situation bears watching from New Jersey political pundits as well.
Alan J. Steinberg served as regional administrator of Region 2 EPA during the administration of former President George W. Bush and as executive director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission.
The Fetterman issue should be the flash-point to overturn the U.S. Senate and N.J. legislative races in favor of Republicans. The Democrats, in their desperation to retain power, put a mental defective who is NON compos mentis into office as a U.S. Senator. Pennsylvanians had a valid choice in Dr. Oz, who IS compos mentis, a medical doctor, someone who supports America First and Pennsylvanians First. However, because of fraudulent executive orders put in place, by the prior Democrat-Socialist Governor Wolf, to change election laws by unlawfully by-passing the Legislature, the U.S. Senate election was unconstitutionally and unlawfully tampered with and obstructed. Hence, you got a brain-dead neanderthal Democrat-Communist in the U.S. Senate. This is an abomination of the electoral system and the U.S. Constitutional Republic and should be cleansed immediately.