Placeholder (politics)
Encyclopedia
In politics, a placeholder is an official appointed temporarily to a position, with the understanding that they will not seek office in their own right.
The situation often occurs in cases where a United States Senator leaves office before the expiration of their term. In most states, governor
s have the power to appoint a replacement temporarily, until a special election can be held. If a governor is interested in seeking office, he or she may appoint themselves to the position; however, this may be seen by voters in a negative light, and may backfire
, leading to the new senator's defeat. To avoid this, the governor may instead select an aide or elder statesman to fill the slot for a few months. Sen. George LeMieux
of Florida, for example, was appointed by Florida Governor Charlie Crist
to a senate seat that Crist ultimately sought.
Placeholders may also be used in cases where more than one member of a party is interested in seeking the office, and the governor does not wish to choose between competing members of his or her own party. Placeholders may also be appointed when a senator leaves office while a campaign for his or her seat is already underway, so as not to affect the outcome of the election. For example, after the death of Senator Paul Wellstone
in 2002 just weeks before election day, Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura
appointed Dean Barkley
to serve, as Barkley was not running for the office, and his appointment would not affect the election.
Historically, in cases where a politician died in office, a variation known as widow's succession
was sometimes followed, where the deceased politician's widow
was appointed to the seat as a placeholder.
must begin their petitioning efforts to meet ballot access deadlines well before their nominating conventions. In any event, the petitions are technically to put presidential electors on the ballot, who may switch their allegiance at any time. In 2008, Michael Badnarik
was used as a placeholder candidate in Libertarian
petitioning, and Michael Bloomberg
and Gail Parker were used as placeholders in Independent Green petitioning. The use of placeholders is sometimes criticized as deceptive.
Perhaps the best-known placeholder candidate was retired Admiral
James Stockdale
, who had been used in 1992 as a placeholder vice presidential
candidate by activists seeking to draft
Ross Perot
to run for the presidency as an independent. By the time Perot committed to run, it was too late to remove Stockdale's name from the ballot, and Stockdale remained on the ticket, even joining Dan Quayle
and Al Gore
in the nationally televised vice presidential debate, where Stockdale quipped, "Who am I? Why am I here?" in his introductory speech.
The situation often occurs in cases where a United States Senator leaves office before the expiration of their term. In most states, governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
s have the power to appoint a replacement temporarily, until a special election can be held. If a governor is interested in seeking office, he or she may appoint themselves to the position; however, this may be seen by voters in a negative light, and may backfire
Backfire
The word backfire in general use usually refers to a plan where the opposite of the desired effect happens or the perpetrator is directly affected as opposed to their intended target.In economics, backfire is described in terms of:* the Jevons paradox...
, leading to the new senator's defeat. To avoid this, the governor may instead select an aide or elder statesman to fill the slot for a few months. Sen. George LeMieux
George LeMieux
George Stephen LeMieux is a former United States Senator from Florida. He was Chairman of the Florida-based law firm of Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, P.A. and served as Chief of Staff to Governor Charlie Crist, was former Deputy Florida Attorney General, and is credited with spearheading Crist's...
of Florida, for example, was appointed by Florida Governor Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
to a senate seat that Crist ultimately sought.
Placeholders may also be used in cases where more than one member of a party is interested in seeking the office, and the governor does not wish to choose between competing members of his or her own party. Placeholders may also be appointed when a senator leaves office while a campaign for his or her seat is already underway, so as not to affect the outcome of the election. For example, after the death of Senator Paul Wellstone
Paul Wellstone
Paul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College...
in 2002 just weeks before election day, Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
appointed Dean Barkley
Dean Barkley
Dean Malcolm Barkley is a politician who briefly served as a member of the United States Senate from Minnesota following the death of Paul Wellstone...
to serve, as Barkley was not running for the office, and his appointment would not affect the election.
Historically, in cases where a politician died in office, a variation known as widow's succession
Widow's succession
Widow's succession was a political practice prominent in some countries in the early part of the 20th century, by which a politician who died in office was succeeded by his widow, either through election or direct appointment to the seat...
was sometimes followed, where the deceased politician's widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
was appointed to the seat as a placeholder.
Placeholder candidates
A subset of placeholders is the placeholder candidate. A placeholder candidate is used in politics as a temporary stand-in for ballot access petitioning purposes until the actual nominees are decided. The need for such placeholders arises from the fact that many third partiesThird party (United States)
The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a...
must begin their petitioning efforts to meet ballot access deadlines well before their nominating conventions. In any event, the petitions are technically to put presidential electors on the ballot, who may switch their allegiance at any time. In 2008, Michael Badnarik
Michael Badnarik
Michael J. Badnarik is an American software engineer, political figure, and former radio talk show host. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2004 elections, and placed fourth in the race, behind independent candidate Ralph Nader...
was used as a placeholder candidate in Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
petitioning, and Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
and Gail Parker were used as placeholders in Independent Green petitioning. The use of placeholders is sometimes criticized as deceptive.
Perhaps the best-known placeholder candidate was retired Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
James Stockdale
James Stockdale
Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the United States Navy.Stockdale led aerial attacks from the carrier during the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Incident...
, who had been used in 1992 as a placeholder vice presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
candidate by activists seeking to draft
Draft (politics)
In elections in the United States, political drafts are used to encourage or pressure a certain person to enter a political race, by demonstrating a significant groundswell of support for the candidate. A write-in campaign may also be considered a draft campaign.-The movement to draft Dwight D....
Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
to run for the presidency as an independent. By the time Perot committed to run, it was too late to remove Stockdale's name from the ballot, and Stockdale remained on the ticket, even joining Dan Quayle
Dan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
and Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
in the nationally televised vice presidential debate, where Stockdale quipped, "Who am I? Why am I here?" in his introductory speech.