[gpt3] Rewrite this title: Andy Beshear noncommittal about replacing Mitch McConnell with GOPer [/gpt4]

### Beshear on McConnell’s Successor: No Comment

Kentucky’s Democratic Governor, Andy Beshear, has declined to comment on whether he will replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell with a Republican, as required by state law, should McConnell step down early due to health concerns. McConnell, 81, has recently faced health issues, including an incident last week when he remained silent for about 30 seconds when asked by a reporter if he would seek another six-year term in 2026.

### Kentucky’s Senate Vacancies Law

In 2021, Kentucky Republicans overrode Beshear’s veto and passed a law mandating that Senate vacancies be temporarily filled by someone with the same party affiliation as the departing senator. The law has attracted attention given McConnell’s recent health troubles. However, Beshear has argued that the law is unconstitutional and has not indicated how he would address a potential vacancy from McConnell.

“There is no Senate vacancy,” Beshear told reporters during a press conference. “Senator McConnell has said he’s going to serve out his term, and I believe him, so I’m not going to speculate about something that hasn’t happened and isn’t going to happen.”

### Beshear’s Constitutional Concerns

At the time the law — Senate Bill 228 — was passed, Beshear argued it violated the Constitution’s 17th Amendment, which gives voters the right to directly vote for their senators. “The bill therefore upends a century of precedent by delegating the power to select the representative of all Kentuckians to an unelected, unaccountable committee of an organization that represents only a fraction of Kentuckians,” Beshear said at the time of his veto. SB 228 also set out parameters for a special election to fill a Senate vacancy.

### McConnell’s Health and the Senate Balance

With three years left in his term, McConnell’s hypothetical departure could significantly shift the balance of power in the Senate, which currently has a thin 51 to 49 Democrat majority. Democrats are facing a defensive crunch ahead of the 2024 cycle, having to defend 20 seats plus three held by Democratic-aligned independents, while Republicans only need to safeguard 11.

After McConnell’s second public freezing incident last Wednesday, Capitol Attending Physician Dr. Brian Monahan stated that McConnell was “medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned.” McConnell also fell at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Washington in March, suffering a concussion and broken ribs. “Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration,” Monahan said in a statement released by McConnell’s office.

McConnell, the longest serving Republican leader of the Senate, has led the caucus since 2007. The Senate is currently on its August recess and is due to reconvene in Washington on September 5.

Original Story at nypost.com – 2023-09-03 13:06:00