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"Special election musical chairs" is a term used by editorialists to describe a series of special elections triggered by the mid-term resignation or death of an officeholder, with elections being won by other officeholders, triggering further special elections until either the next election required to replace a vacant office is scheduled on a regular election day or the winner of an election does not create a vacancy in any elected office. It is represented well by a series of five special elections that were held in the Oakland-Berkeley area from April 1998 to April 1999, due to: a political retirement, elected officials seeking higher office, and the requirements for filling mid-term vacancies under California election law. Near the end of it, there had been so many elections held that voters were increasingly unwilling to participate, and turnout fell to 15% of registered voters, one of the lowest turnouts in California history. The "musical chairs" began with the mid-term retirement of well-known Congressman Ron Dellums, and ended one year later with the unexpected election to the California State Assembly of Green Party candidate Audie Bock. ==April 7, 1998: special Congressional election== On November 17, 1997, 27-year veteran Congressman Ron Dellums announced that he was retiring from Congress. Having represented the Oakland-Berkeley area since 1970 and first elected as anti-Vietnam War activist, the 61-year-old Dellums said: "Now I choose to make a personal decision and to empower myself to regain my life. It's important for me to now move on.".〔(AllPolitics - A Look Ahead - 1998 )〕 But rather than serve the rest of his 2-year term (which was set to expire in January 1999), Dellums announced that he would step down effective February 1998. Therefore, a special election would have to be called, and was scheduled for April 7, 1998. Upon stepping down, Dellums endorsed a long-time aide, Barbara Lee, who at the time was representing the Berkeley-Oakland area in the California State Senate. With strong support from a popular incumbent, Barbara Lee faced little opposition in the April 7th special election. She was elected to Congress with 67% of the vote, defeating fellow Democrats Greg Harper and Randall Stewart, and Republican Charlie Sanders.〔(Lee follows Dellums' footsteps )〕 Voter turnout was 16%. As Lee took office immediately, Lee had to give up her State Senate seat, triggering a special election, called for September 1, 1998. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「special election musical chairs」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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