Wyoming state Sen. John Barrasso (R) will fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat caused by the death earlier this month of Sen. Craig Thomas (R), Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) announced today.
State law required Freudenthal to choose from three nominees chosen by the Wyoming Republican Party. The other two candidates were Tom Sansonetti, a former U.S. assistant attorney general for environment and natural resources, and former state Treasurer Cynthia Lummis.
"There are many factors that went into this decision, and it was the sum of these factors that led me to this choice," Freudenthal said in a statement. "While I don't intend to indulge the speculation on why I made this decision, I will say that I hope I made the right choice."
Sansonetti made news in recent days by asking a federal judge for leniency in sentencing of J. Steven Griles, the former Interior deputy secretary who admitted lying to the Senate regarding his role in the Jack Abramoff investigation.
Barrasso, 54, is an orthopedic surgeon active on healthcare issues and has a weekly newspaper column providing medical advice, according to the Jackson Hole Star-Tribune. He lost the 1996 GOP primary for the Senate seat now held by Sen. Mike Enzi (R).
"I believe in limited government, lower taxes, less spending, traditional family values, local control and a strong national defense," he said in his application to the Republican State Central Committee. Barrasso also cited his "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.
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