Nine-term Senator Robert Byrd died early this morning at the age of 92.
He started his political career by running for the state House of Delegates in 1946, while working as a butcher and welder. He won a seat in the House of Representatives six years later, was elected to his first Senate term in 1958 and won his ninth in 2006, three weeks shy of his 89th birthday….
In November 2009, two days before his 92nd birthday, he passed Arizona Democrat Carl Hayden’s record to become the longest-serving member of Congress.
Our condolences to his family and his many, many friends.
While recognizing he was a complicated man who changed for the better over time. RIP.
R.I.P. Robert Byrd, he was on of America’s great senators.
In terms who will replace him, Manchin already said he wouldn’t appoint himself (a smart move). When the next election for the seat will be is not clear now but it seems that it will likely be in 2012 during the date of the regularly scheduled election.
I will say (as many others have stated in the Morning digest) that Capito won’t run against Manchin. Capito is far and beyond the strongest Republican for statewide office, but Manchin is really popular, even now with the trouble that many incumbents are having. Maybe we will get some polling soon, but my bet is that Capito would be behind Manchin by 10 points at least and while she would win her own congressional district easily, she would really struggle in WV-01 and WV-03 which are traditionally Democratic. Remember that there is a very strong union presence in WV, which is much different from a state such as Arkansas.
Rather, if Capito wants to run for statewide office, she would run for the governorship (Manchin is term limited anyway) and would have an excellent shot at winning.
If Manchin wants to run in 2012, he will have to appoint a “caretaker,” i.e., someone who promises not to run in 2012. What kind of bench do we have in WV for a caretaker or otherwise?
When I read he was ill yesterday I did not think a lot of it as I fully expected him to make a recovery. He was a fighter but at least he is not in pain anymore, I hope he did not have to suffer. I knew when he ran for re-election in 06 that this could happen but I really did not think it would. He was an amazing Senator, I will not lie his early career was not the greatest but I honestly think he has evolved his views and his endorsement of Obama in the primary proves that. He led an amazing career, he has been in Congress longer than I or most people on this blog have been alive. And it is so close to Kennedy and Murtha as well. I will not lie I did shed a few tears this morning, and I wish his friends and family well.
this is not too early but are we for sure that Manchin will run? I mean, everyone thought Beau Biden in Delaware would run and I am just wondering if this is a hundred percent. Who runs if he declines?
Because of that I’d say it is all but guaranteed that Manchin will run. Even if there was no PAC, the circumstances make it much more likely he would run than Beau Biden.
First of all, Manchin is term limited in 2012 as Governor and presumably he wants to continue in some type of political office. Biden was only in his first term as attorney general and he could run again.
Second, Shelly Moore Capito, the strongest Republican in WV, is no where near as formidable as Mike Castle. She only represents 1/3 of the state and the other two congressinal districts are heavily Democratic (not at the presidential level but definitly at the state and local level). She has not announced yet (unlike Castle who did announce although it wasn’t right away). She wouldn’t scare Manchin away as Castle did for Biden. Rather I think its the other way around: Capito will only run for the Senate if Manchin skips, otherwise she will likely run for governor.
Third, Manchin is older than Beau Biden and I don’t think he could wait another cycle to run unlike Biden. Manchin is 62, Biden is only 41. If Manchin passed on the Senate race it would mean he is retiring from politics altogether, but I don’t think that is likely to happen.
Also even if Manchin doesn’t run and Capitio does, Democrats have such a strong bench (and Capitio not so overwhelmingly strong) that they would be competitive, not like in Delaware in which Castle is the overwhelming favorite.
First of course, condolences to R Byrd’s family.
The more prominent democrats from West Virginia (without J Rockefeller):
I’m wrong in some data, tell me please.
After see find and see that, I think J Manchin should appoint himself as the successor of R Byrd.
I think would be understandable because he is by large the strongest candidate. I would support, despite he is more conservative than me by decent margin.
I like not placeholders. I wish not more problems with the appointment of low level politicians for the vacant seats in the senate.
West Virginia would have fast the strongest democratic senator and a new incumbent governor for 2012 what is so strong too (E Tomblin). This would be the easier, fast and effective way of solve the succession.
and this time you can rest with the assurance that your party will do what it can to avoid screwing up the way we did with your late colleague’s seat!
Thank you for your service to your country as a political leader. Your personal transformation, as others have noted in this thread, often reflected the changing attitudes of the country, such as in your going from a Klan member to a strong supporter of civil rights.
As with Teddy, we cannot hope to replace you completely, but we can try our best to live up to your legacy and continue your work.
I remarked back when Jesse Helms died that he and Byrd make for an interesting case study in opposites. Byrd represented to a remarkable degree the old USA (and the South in particular) coming to terms with the past and trying to work for a better future. Would anyone have imagined that the man who tried to filibuster the 1964 Civil Rights Act would earn a 100% from the NAACP, or endorse a black man for president?
To a great Senator and American legend.
Just throwing her name into the mix of possible appointees. True she lost by a lot to Rep. Capito in ’08, but she was a longtime Byrd staffer so she might make sense as the placeholder. Plus it might set her up for a stronger run in ’12 when Rep. Capito might well be vacating her seat to run for either governor or senator.