CHEYENNE - The death of U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas has set up 2008 as a big and unusual year for Wyoming politics.

All three congressional seats will be up for election.

Two of those seats are occupied by Sen. Mike Enzi and Rep. Barbara Cubin, both Republicans. The two have not announced their political intentions, but observers at this point expect both to seek re-election next year.

Meanwhile, the Wyoming Republican Central Committee will pick three candidates to replace Thomas in the state's other Senate seat until the 2008 elections. Making the appointment from the list of three names will be Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal.

Though only two potential candidates contacted by the Star-Tribune expressed interest in the appointment Tuesday, the list of hopefuls could be long.

The same appointment process was used for the first time when Freudenthal named Republican Jim McBride to be state superintendent of public instruction in 2005. That vacancy was triggered by the resignation of Trent Blankenship, who quit the elected post to take a job as school superintendent in Barrow, Alaska.

This relatively new system puts Freudenthal in a position to choose the person the Democrats will face in the 2008 general election.

"The Republican central committee is in something of a quandary because they can't dictate who that choice will be,� said James King, political science professor at the University of Wyoming.

"If they put up the names of three prominent Republicans who would be interested in seeking re-election, in essence they're giving the governor the option of choosing who the Democrats' opponent is going to be,� King said Tuesday.

On the other hand, the Republicans, aware there will be significant interest in the seat in the 2008 election, may decide to submit the names of three Republicans who will not be candidates for the seat in 2008. This happened when Al Gore became vice president in 1993: The governor of Tennessee appointed as his successor to the U.S. Senate a replacement who would not seek election to the seat.

If the Republicans also take that course, the entire Republican field will be open in the 2008 Republican primary for the Senate seat.

Meanwhile, the list of names of potential candidates for the seat is growing.

King mentioned state Rep. Colin Simpson of Cody, former House Speakers Randall Luthi of Freedom and Fred Parady of Rock Springs, Secretary of State Max Maxfield and former State Treasurer Cynthia Lummis.

"If the Republican choice is to pick a list of people who would be substantial candidates in 2008, the prior office holders all come to mind, the legislative leadership comes to mind,� King said.

It's harder, he added, to identify Republicans who would not be candidates in 2008.

Luthi, who now is deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Tuesday he is interested In the appointment.

"Right now I would say yes, I'd be honored to be considered,� Luthi said from his office in Washington, D.C.

Luthi, a lawyer, has considerable other experience in the nation's capital.

So does Tom Sansonetti, a Cheyenne lawyer and Republican Party activist, who said he also is considering becoming a candidate.

Parady, who is the new state GOP chairman, said Tuesday he is not a candidate.

Simpson and Maxfield said it is too early to discuss whether they are interested.

Wyoming U.S. Attorney Matt Mead said he would not make any decision until after Thomas' funeral.

Other potential candidates, including state Sens. John Barrasso of Casper and Eli Bebout of Riverton, 2006 gubernatorial candidate Ray Hunkins, and Lummis, could not be reached Tuesday afternoon.

MSNBC's �First Read� political blog noted that in years past there was �idle speculation" about the interest of Vice President Dick Cheney's wife, Lynne, in running for office. The bloggers predicted the name of Cheney would come up during the GOP selection process.

The Republican central committee has 15 days after notification of the vacancy to select the three names to be forwarded to Freudenthal. The governor started the 15-day clock running Tuesday by issuing a formal notice of the vacancy to Parady.

Parady said Tuesday he will hold a press conference after Thomas' funeral to announce how the selection process will work for the 71 members of the state central committee. He said it will be similar to the open process that took place in 2005, when McBride and two other candidates for the state school superintendent job were selected.

Thomas is the fourth U.S.senator from Wyoming to die in office. The others were Francis E. Warren in 1929, John B. Kendrick in 1933 and Lester Hunt in 1954, according to historian Phil Roberts of UW.

In addition, Keith Thomson was elected to the Senate in 1960 but died before he took office.

Capital bureau reporter Joan Barron can be reached at (307) 632-1244 or at joan.barron@casperstartribune.net.

* Last we knew: U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., died Monday at the age of 74.

* The latest: Several Republicans are being mentioned as possible candidates to replace him.

* What's next: The state GOP Central Committee has 15 days to submit the names of three nominees to replace Thomas to Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal.]]>