# What would happen if Romney won, then died b4 Jan. 20

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [April 29, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346 "2012-04-29T19:06:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/1 "2012-04-29T19:06:25Z")

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Who would become President if, hypothetically Romney won, then died in an avalanche while on a ski trip over Christmas? I assume his VP is automatically elevated.

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/2 "2012-04-29T19:09:50Z")

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[The 20th Amendment](http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am20):

“If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President.”

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/3 "2012-04-29T19:32:42Z")

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Alternately, if he died before the Electoral College voted, his electors would vote for someone else (presumably someone chosen and agreed-upon by the Republican Party, but we don’t have precedent, and they could in principle vote for whomever they liked).

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**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/4 "2012-04-29T19:42:40Z")

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Newt would un-suspend his campaign, that’s what.

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**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/5 "2012-04-29T20:26:33Z")

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[The Master speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/122/what-if-the-u-s-president-and-vice-president-elect-die-before-being-sworn-in)

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/6 "2012-04-29T21:07:46Z")

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> [@Steve\_MB](#):
>
> [The Master speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/122/what-if-the-u-s-president-and-vice-president-elect-die-before-being-sworn-in)

OF COURSE Cecil has the answer! 😃 The date on the column is unsurprising.

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**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/7 "2012-04-30T02:22:01Z")

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I’m counting on Mitt Romney to pull a William Henry Harrison. 😃

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/8 "2012-05-03T16:06:38Z")

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> [@Kozmik](#):
>
> I’m counting on Mitt Romney to pull a William Henry Harrison. 😃

I’m not sure even he’s out of touch enough to give a speech for hours while standing out in the rain.

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**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/10 "2012-05-04T15:46:57Z")

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> [@Kozmik](#):
>
> I’m counting on Mitt Romney to pull a William Henry Harrison. 😃

I’d rather he pull a Hubert Humphrey. 😉

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-romney-won-then-died-b4-jan-20/620346/11 "2012-05-04T18:39:07Z")

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> [@BwanaBob](#):
>
> I’d rather he pull a Hubert Humphrey. 😉

Or a McGovern.