State Senator Paul Stanley

Information:

State Senator Paul Stanley - District 31

Commission names 2 to state Senate

Interim appointments expire at midnight following today's vote

Commercial Appeal: By Michael Erskine
November 7, 2006

Election Day came one day early for Republican Paul Stanley and Democrat Reginald Tate.

And the two, who are on today's ballot for election to the state Senate, are already senators, thanks to unanimous votes of the Shelby County Commission.

A quirk in state law forced the commission to fill two vacant state Senate seats, created by the recent resignations of Republican Curtis Person and Democrat Kathryn Bowers, even though a statewide general election was imminent.

County Atty. Brian Kuhn told commissioners they were obligated under the state Constitution to fill the Senate vacancies because they occurred within one year before an election.

The commission waited until Monday to make the interim appointments, which run out at midnight after today's election.

Commissioners simply picked two of the candidates off today's ballot to fill the vacancies.

Tate, 52, a Memphis architect, is the only candidate on today's ballot for Senate Dist. 33, the seat formerly held by Bowers.

Stanley, 44, faces Democrat Ivon Faulkner in today's race for Senate Dist. 31.

Both Tate and Stanley asked to be considered as candidates for the interim appointment. Faulkner did not request to be considered by commissioners for the post.

The only other person to put his name into contention was attorney Kevin Snider, who did not receive a nomination by commissioners.

Stanley, a financial adviser from Germantown, has served in the state House of Representatives for six years. Republican Steve McManus is running unopposed for his District 96 seat.

"It's an honor just to have the Shelby County Commissioners show confidence in you. I'm just looking forward to the other 125,000 registered voters doing the same tomorrow," Stanley said after the commission made him a senator, joking that he might even "go out and put 're-elect' on my yard signs."