Antigay Wyoming
legislator fills vacant Senate seat

Staunch Republican John Barrasso is leaving Wyoming's state legislature to become the state's newest U.S. senator, reports The New York Times. Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Friday appointed him to the post left vacant by Republican Craig Thomas's death from leukemia June 4.

Barrasso was chosen from a long list of applicants, making it through the first series of cuts made by the Wyoming Republican Central Party Committee.

In a statement released to the press, Freudenthal declined to shed light on why he chose Barrasso. "There are many factors that went into this decision, and it was the sum of these factors that led me to this choice," he said, according to the Times. "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."

Barrasso's appointment will take effect immediately. Although Thomas's term was scheduled to end in 2012, a special election will be held in 2008 to determine if Barrasso will keep the interim seat. He confirmed his intention to run to the Times.

According to the Times, Barrasso's application expressed his intention to "continue Craig Thomas's legacy of fighting for Wyoming."

"I believe in limited government, lower taxes, less spending, traditional family values, local control, and strong national defense," he said in the application. "In the state senate, in addition to receiving an 'A' rating from the [National Rifle Association], I have voted for prayer in schools, against gay marriage, and have sponsored legislation to protect the sanctity of life." (The Advocate)