Last November, Governor of West Virginia Joe Manchin was elected a United States Senator in a special election to fill the remainder of the term originally held by the late Senator Robert Byrd. Manchin had earlier in 2008 been elected to a second gubernatorial tem, ending in January 2013.
The current acting governor is Earl Ray Tomblin, who, as president of the state senate took the office of acting governor on November 15, 2010, upon the resignation of Joe Manchin to take his seat in the U.S. Senate.
The constitution of West Virginia doesn’t contain the position of lieutenant governor; if the governorship becomes vacant, the Senate President acts as governor. If more than one year remains in the governor's term at the time of vacancy, a new election has to be held; if the time is less, the acting governor serves the remainder of the term (WV Constitution article VII, § 16).
The West Virginia Citizen Action Group then brought a case against Tomblin, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant (D) and state House Speaker Rick Thompson (D), arguing that West Virginia could not go two years without electing a new governor. On January 18, 2011 the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that the term of acting governor can only last for one year and that a special election must be held to fill the remainder of the term, which ends January 2013.
On January 21, 2011 acting Governor Tomblin issued a proclamation, in accordance with the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruling, for a special election for the Office of Governor to take place on October 4, 2011.
The jockeying for position has now begun. On the GOP side former West Virginia Secretary of State Betty Ireland has already officially entered the race. Apparently the most impressive possible GOP candidate, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, seems to be declining to run. The state GOP chair, Mike Stuart and state Sen. Clarke Barnes have expressed interest to run.
On the Democratic side a free for all seems possible with acting Gov. Tomblin expected to run, and state House Speaker Thompson, acting state Senate Pres. Jeff Kessler, state Sen. Brooks McCabe, Secretary of State Tennant and state Treasurer John Perdue already annoucing their intention to run.
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2011 is politically an off year with little happening election wise. Adding to the normally sheduled off year gubernatorial elections for Louisiana, Kentucky and Mississippi, 2011 now thus has a fourth gubernatorial election.