Calvin Coolidge Wins Contentious By-Election to Senate
Calvin Coolidge triumphs over Lloenflys by three vote margin
Written by Forilian
The short but high-energy battle between two Europeian legal giants is over, as Calvin Coolidge prevails over Lloenflys in a hard-fought Senate by-election. Mr. Coolidge won with 53.7% of the vote, while Lloenflys trailed with 46.3%. 41 citizens cast their ballot, which is fewer than the 59 who did so in the previous General Election, and just slightly fewer than the 42 votes cast in the previous by-election held in June. The newly-elected senator is a legal expert, having served nine terms as senator, one-and-a-half terms as speaker, and four terms as attorney general. Mr. Coolidge, who was Ovated in 2018, has also served in various roles across the region, including as president, first minister, vice chancellor, and associate justice.
The by-election was called on August 3rd by outgoing Vice Chancellor Sanjurika to replace the vacancy left by the resignation of Senator Gem, who cited both real-life reasons and concerns about inactivity of the Senate as a whole in their resignation letter. Both candidates stood within hours of standing opening. In a brief campaign period that lasted only three days, the minimum provided by law, one major issue stood out as a point of contention: Senator Cordova's proposed legislation, Empowering the Speaker Amendment (2024), which is currently undergoing its first reading in the Senate. The amendment, if passed, would grant broader powers to the speaker, including the power to unilaterally remove bills from being debated in the Senate. Whereas Mr. Coolidge agreed with Senator Cordova's arguments that this move would empower the speaker and allow for more activity in the Senate, Lloenflys was more skeptical, noting that he "primarily favor[ed] the status quo." However, he also proposed a compromise wherein the Speaker would be directly elected by the people, rather than indirectly by senators as currently done, should Senator Cordova's amendment become law. Senators Eldorin and Sopo have already expressed their concerns about the amendment, so Mr. Coolidge's support for the legislation may prove crucial if the amendment is to pass.
The new senator will serve until the conclusion of the next General Election, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, September 6th.
