Placeholder (politics)

Governors interested in seeking the office may appoint themselves to the position; however, this may be seen by voters in a negative light as self-dealing and creating an undue advantage, and it may backfire leading to the new senator's defeat.

To avoid this, the governor may instead select an aide to fill the slot for a few months, with the understanding that the appointee does not seek a full term.

Occasionally, a former politician may be called out of retirement to serve as a temporary appointee, as occurred with Jon Kyl of Arizona in September 2018.

Kyl had served three terms in the U.S. Senate, from 1995 until his retirement in 2013, but was appointed as a placeholder by Arizona governor Doug Ducey following the death in office of incumbent John McCain.

The need for such placeholders arises from the fact that many third parties must begin their petitioning efforts to meet ballot access deadlines well before their nominating conventions.