As you’ve almost certainly heard by now, Sen. Craig Thomas (R), a three-term Republican from Wyoming who has struggled with leukemia, died last night at the age of 74. My best wishes go out to Thomas’ family.
The senator’s family said he died Monday evening at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The family had said earlier in the day that his cancer had been resistant to a second round of chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.
He had also developed an infection, his family said.
Thomas was hospitalized with pneumonia just before the 2006 election, but won with 70 percent of the vote, monitoring the election from his hospital bed.
Given the political state of the Senate, it’s understandable that attention would quickly shift to the future of Thomas’ seat. Under Wyoming election law, which Michael Froomkin explores in some detail, the state Republican Party will nominate three people to be his successor. Gov. David Freudenthal, a Democrat, will choose from that list
The AP added that Wyoming’s elections director explained that Freudenthal will have five days to appoint of the nominees from the state GOP, and that person will serve until the next general election in 2008.
A Republican Senate leadership aide summarized Thomas’ quiet style: “He got a lot done for his state, but it would be a challenge to find any clips of him jockeying for the microphone to brag about it. He was very helpful for the team, but didn’t dance in the end zone.”