Chris Nelson is the former Secretary of State of South Dakota. A Republican, he was a candidate to become U.S. Representative from South Dakota's At-large congressional district in 2010. Nelson lost to Kristi Noem in the Republican primary. Nelson gained prominence as a key constitutional figure in any possible replacement of Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Johnson, who suffered stroke-like bleeding in the brain caused by a congenital malformation known as arteriovenous malformation. If Johnson died or otherwise make the office "vacant", South Dakota law provides for the governor to name a replacement. Then Governor of South Dakota Mike Rounds is Republican. Nelson has told the press that there are no special restrictions on an appointment by the governor and a replacement would not have to be from the same political party. [More at Wikipedia]

South Dakota