This rare political shift has only occurred nine times in U.S history, never in Mississippi. Bryant should be cautious about filling the seat. Bryant must, by law, appoint someone temporarily to fill Cochran’s seat in Washington if Cochran decides to step down later in the year as many in Washington and Jackson predicted. Bryant could also appoint himself, but this might not be viewed favorably by some voters. He could instead resign from his position as governor and become Lt. Governor. Tate Reeves could move to the governor’s office. Reeves could then appoint Bryant, who would at that point be a regular citizen, to the U.S. Senate seat. The person who is elected would serve a temporary term until the November 2018 special elections. The winner of the special election would serve the remainder Cochran’s Senate term which runs through 2020. Although it is unprecedented in Mississippi, the move was made in other states, as well as in states that have the same constitutional process. The most recent was December 1976 when Senator Walter Mondale was elected vice-president on the Jimmy Carter ticket. Minnesota Gov. Wendell Anderson was elected to the seat, but lost it in 1978. Bryant would probably take into account that all nine of the nine U.S. governors who were elected to the Senate in U.S. History lost the subsequent Senate election. Here is the complete list of nine governors who were appointed by themselves, compiled using the U.S. Senate Website: * Montana, 1933 — Senator Thomas Walsh, a Democrat died. Gov. John Erickson (a Democrat) was elected to the seat. He lost in a 1934 primary. * Kentucky, 1939 — Sen. Marvel Logan, a Democrat, died. Gov. Albert “Happy” Chandler (a Democrat) was elected to the seat. He won elections in 1942 and 1940. * Nevada, 1945 — Senator James Scrugham (a Democrat) died. Gov. Edward Carville (a Democrat) was elected to the seat. He lost the 1946 primary. * Idaho, 1945 — Sen. John Thomas, a Republican, died. Gov. Charles Gossett (a Democrat) was elected to the seat. He lost in a 1946 primary. * Wyoming, 1961 — Senator-elect Keith Thomson (a Republican) died. Gov. John J. Hickey (a Democrat) was elected to the seat. He lost it in a 1962 election. * New Mexico, 1962 — Sen. Dennis Chavez, a Democrat, died. Gov. Edwin Mechem (a Republican) was elected to the seat. He lost it in 1964. * Oklahoma, 1963 — Sen. Robert Kerr, a Democrat, died. Gov. J. Howard Edmondson was a Democrat who took the seat. He lost in the 1964 primary. * South Carolina, 1965 — Sen. Olin Johnston, a Democrat, died. Gov. Donald Russell, a Democrat was elected to the seat. He lost in a 1966 primary. * Minnesota 1976 — Senator Walter Mondale (a Democrat) was elected vice-president. Gov. Wendell Anderson (a Democrat) was elected to the seat. He lost in a 1978 election. Editor’s Note: In the original version, this story stated that Gov. Bryant cannot appoint himself to the U.S. Senate. This story has been updated to reflect that Bryant cannot appoint himself to the U.S. Senate. To support this important work, you can make a regular donation to the Spring Member Drive today. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. To ensure that our work is aligned with the priorities and needs of all Mississippians, we are listening to you. Click the button below to let us know what you think.