# Missouri Senatorial Election **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-senatorial-election/106720 "2002-05-01T19:59:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-senatorial-election/106720/1 "2002-05-01T19:59:29Z")
The voters of Missouri elected Mel Carnahan to the United States Senate in 2000. Since Carnahan was dead, the governor of the state chose someone (Carnahan’s widow) to fill the seat until a new election could be arranged this year. My question is: Will the person who wins this election serve four years (until Mel Carnahan’s term would have been over) or a full six years (as if s/he were newly elected)? Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cheapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8e7dd6/32.png) [@El\_Cheapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cheapo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-senatorial-election/106720/2 "2002-05-01T20:18:27Z")
This will be for the remaining four years of the term… El Cheapo Registered Voter - Missouri ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-senatorial-election/106720/3 "2002-05-01T20:24:16Z")
Thank you **El Cheapo**. That’s what I figured becuase the Senate has to remain in three classes and the classes could become unbalanced in situations like these. But, I wasn’t sure. Thanks. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2002, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-senatorial-election/106720/4 "2002-05-01T21:38:40Z")
Zell Miller, the renegade Democrat, was appointed to fill the remainder of a dead senator’s term in 2000, so he had to run in a special election two years ago. So he’s only serving a four year term because the man he replaced was re-elected in 1998.