If the Virginia governor steps down, will he be succeeded by the Lt. Gov

[CatWoman]

or will they have to have a special election?

[spooky3]

1. Lt Gov would be Gov. Then, VA legislature appoints

Replacement Lt Gov, as I understand it.

[McCamy Taylor]

2. So is the legislature Republican? Could this be a plan to oust the Dems

so they can rig the state for the next election? The Lt. Gov had better be as pure as the driven snow.

[spooky3]

3. Yes. Nt

[mr_lebowski]

5. Yes, legislature is GOP, and yes many are saying the legislature will replace the Lt Gov when he

Moves to the Governorship.

And YES as far as I'm concerned, this could EASILY be part of a bigger plan, that the GOP has some old crap on the Lt. Gov. as well that they'll bust out as soon as they've gotten some Confederate jerk in place as Lt. Gov.

I don't friggin' trust the GOP as far as I can throw 'em. That's why I'm not jumping on the Oust Northam bandwagon until all the facts are in.

[hlthe2b]

11. Absolutely not true. New Governor appts Lt. Governor, NOT the legislature

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/justin-fairfax-would-become-virginias-2nd-black-governor-if-northam-resigns/2019/02/02/a632c054-266a-11e9-90cd-dedb0c92dc17_story.html?utm_term=.57f34fd38742

[CatWoman]

15. thanks Hon

[hlthe2b]

6. No... I'm not sure why some are propagating this, but not true. New Gov Fairfax appts Lt. Gov

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211760796

[riverwalker]

8. Yes

Fairfax becomes Gov. and the law says he can choose his own Lt. Gov. The VA law was on Twitter last night.

[hlthe2b]

4. No. that is not true. Fairfax as new Governor would appoint his own Lt. Governor.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211760796

[mr_lebowski]

7. I'm going to hold off on taking the word of the Inquisitor on this question for the time being ...

If I find out for SURE Fairfax gets to choose his Lieutenant, and there's no chance for f***ery by the VA Congressional GOP, I'll be more amenable to the idea of running Northam out of town ... personally.

[hlthe2b]

10. WAPO says the same. Do you trust a law professor at UVA quoted by WAPO?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/justin-fairfax-would-become-virginias-2nd-black-governor-if-northam-resigns/2019/02/02/a632c054-266a-11e9-90cd-dedb0c92dc17_story.html?utm_term=.57f34fd38742

Dick Howard, a law professor at the University of Virginia and expert on the state constitution, told The Washington Post Friday that Fairfax would still be able to run for a full four-year term as governor in 2021, because he had been appointed — not elected — to the office in the wake of Northam’s resignation.

Howard said he believed the state constitution calls for the governor to appoint a new lieutenant governor if there is a vacancy, until a special election could be held in the next November general election. That would mean Fairfax would appoint a lieutenant governor to serve through the rest of the year. That person could either be a placeholder, or could run in November to serve out the remainder of Fairfax’s term.

[mr_lebowski]

13. That is a slightly more comforting, yes :)

However, I cannot discount the verbiage used, to whit:

"Howard said he believed ... "

That is not quite the same as 'WAPO says ... ', is it?

This is 'WAPO reports someone says' ... the way I read it.

And furthermore, if there's ANY FRIGGIN QUESTION as to the process of appointing a new Lt Gov, you KNOW the GOP in the VA legislature are going to angle for the privilege of doing so as hard as they possibly can. The fact that we're only at the point of "I Believe (this is the rule)" ... makes me nervous.

I also really wonder ... who's behind this photo's release?

Frankly I kinda hope it's Fairfax's team, because I think he's well within his rights to do so for one reason, but also because then I wouldn't worrying that the GOP is behind this.

I say that because the likelihood that GOP is behind this WITHOUT a plan to then oust Fairfax somehow, in order to put a GOPper in place ... seems remote.

Especially when you consider that by his attaining office in this manner, a Black Man is set up to potentially govern Virginia for 6 YEARS. I cannot imagine that the GOP would scheme to get Northam out (who they have reason to believe is racist, apparently) to usher in Fairfax, maybe for 6 years.

[hlthe2b]

14. In the vernacular a MSM source "says" means they "report"... Geez I provided the link

so you don't have to take my paraphrase. Believe what you will. There have been other VA lawyers who have said the same on MSNBC and CNN. I have provided reporting from two such sources from media reporting.

On the other hand, those who continue to propagate the CT that a R-legislature gets to decide have provided exactly ZERO sources for their assertions, yet how many on this thread took it as true?

[mr_lebowski]

16. No offense intended, I'm only saying I've yet to see cut/dry evidence, only 'this is what I think'

with regards to 'how it works'.

I'm disturbed by the notion frankly that nobody in a true position of authority has yet said POSITIVELY ... 'this IS the rule' that the new Governor gets to choose his/her Lieutenant.

Seems like someone would be able to quote a law book somewhere and there'd not be 'opinions' involved.

[hlthe2b]

18. Really? yet all but one other on this thread did not question the assertion sans any evidence

provided that the Republican- led Legislature determines the next Lt. Gov, with the added bit of conspiracy theory that this was all part of the plan. You didn't question it either, it appears.

So, CT assertions are fine sans any evidence whatsoever, but WAPO citing a well known constitutional scholar and UVA professor is suspect.

Is this the Northam "effect?"

[hlthe2b]

19. It has never been adjudicated because it hasn't occurred. BUT the issue is there is no legislation

nor constitutional inclusion that designates the legislature as legally designated to name a Lt. Governor in the case of a vacancy. In the absence of such specific designation, it defaults to the Governor as in nearly every state in the US. If you have watched any CNN or MSNBC coverage, they've made this clear.

[OnDoutside]

9. That's what I was worried about, this is good news.

[krawhitham]

12. If he is racist, he can't resign because the Lt. Gov is black

If he truly believes he's not racist just was a dumb kid, he sees no reason to resign

Either way he will not resign unless the pressure is to much for him to handle

[CatWoman]

17. when I went to bed last night I was leaning toward him not resigning

but I spoke with my granddaughter today (she lives in the Tidewater area), and I'm about his ass vacating the governor's mansion.