The 2008 United States Senate special election in Wyoming took place on November 4, 2008, at the same time as the
regular election to the United States Senate in Wyoming. The
special election occurred to complete the term of Republican incumbent
Craig L. Thomas, who won reelection in
2006, but died in June 2007. Despite being a Democrat, Governor
Dave Freudenthal was obliged by state law to appoint a Republican, and selected state senator
John Barrasso, who was unopposed in the Republican primary and won the general election to fill the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2013.[1] This is the last time that both of Wyoming‘s U.S. Senate seats were concurrently up for election.
Background
Wyoming law dictates that when a U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant, the departing senator's state party at the time of the most recent election must create a list of three finalists, with the governor to select one of those candidates to fill the seat.[2] Speculation about potential Republican challengers had included the other finalists to succeed Thomas,
Cynthia Lummis and
Tom Sansonetti; as well as former state House Speaker
Randall Luthi, and former U.S. Attorney
Matt Mead.[3]