Wyoming Republicans have winnowed the field of 28 potential candidates to replace the late U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas to three. The finalists are: former Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department Tom Sansonetti; State Sen. John Barrasso; and former state legislator and former State Treasurer Cynthia Lummis.
The list now goes to Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal, who will appoint one of them to the vacancy. The seat will filled as a full six-year term in the 2008 election cycle.Tragedy struck the selection proceedings at the last minute, according to the live feed from the Casper Star-Tribune:
Dave Northrup, a Wyoming Republican Party State Central Committee member from Powell, had to leave the Best Western Ramkota Inn because his two sons were seriously burned in a fire back home, according to Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Fred Parady.
