Beshear Urges Senate to Rule on McConnell Capacity After 7-Week Voting Absence
Updated
Updated · WLWT Cincinnati · Aug 4
Beshear Urges Senate to Rule on McConnell Capacity After 7-Week Voting Absence
3 articles · Updated · WLWT Cincinnati · Aug 4
Summary
Seven weeks after Mitch McConnell last cast a Senate vote, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Senate leaders must determine whether the 84-year-old can still serve and act if he cannot.
Beshear said only the U.S. Senate can declare the seat vacant, putting the decision on Majority Leader John Thune rather than the governor.
McConnell has not appeared publicly since his hospitalization; his office has released only two photos, fueling calls for more transparency about his condition.
If the seat is declared vacant, a 2024 Kentucky law would require a special election instead of a gubernatorial appointment, with candidate nominations due by Sept. 8.
That process could still face legal uncertainty because questions remain over how the new law fits with the Kentucky constitution.