The Republicans lost a congressional district in a special election in upstate New York.
Mr Kennedy requested that the state law should be amended to provide a temporary appointment by the governor until the special election.
In California and a number of other states, voters can gather signatures on a petition to hold a special election to replace an elected official who is regarded as incompetent.
The special election (as Americans call a by-election) to fill the Craigslist Congressman's empty seat will take place on May 24th.
Their man won the special election to fill the House seat left vacant in Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district by the death in February of John Murtha, a long-serving Democrat.
His former economic staffer, Mark Critz, hopes to step into his master's boots in a special election to fill the seat on May 18th.
The Republicans won a special election for a New Orleans seat in the House of Representatives.
That's when Bing decided to park himself in the hot seat, winning a special election after disgraced Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick stepped down under charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
A special election held between general elections to fill a vacancy, as for a parliamentary seat.
