By Rachel Kapochunas, CQ Staff

1. This certainly wasn’t expected. After more than 30 years in Congress, why did he resign?

Sen. Trent Lott , 66, said his health was not a factor but said he wanted to spend more time with family and “do something different” with his life. He noted that teaching may be one option he will explore. Lott said Monday that it was time for Mississippi to elect a “new person, a younger person” to serve in office who can build up their seniority before the state’s other senator, Republican Thad Cochran , 70, retires. Cochran’s seat is up in 2008 and he is running again.

In his Pascagoula news conference Monday, Lott said he considered retiring when his seat was up for re-election in 2006, but felt he could best serve his state’s recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina by remaining in office.

He was first elected to the House in 1973 and the Senate in 1988 where he served as Leader from 1996-2002 and currently serves as Whip.

Lott experienced a comeback in the Senate after being forced to step down as Leader when he was fiercely criticized for praising Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1948 presidential run (which included a segregationist platform).

2. What happens next?

Lott said he will resign “by the end of the year” and after the current session concludes, expected in the next 3‑4 weeks. Ten days after Lott vacates office, Republican Gov. Haley Barbour will appoint a replacement.

Barbour has announced that a special election will be held Nov. 4 2008 to elect a permanent Senator. The date coincides with the 2008 general Congressional and Presidential elections. No primary will be held and the candidate who receives a majority of the vote on Nov. 4 will be declared the winner. If no single candidate receives a majority vote, the top-two candidates will face off three weeks later. The winner will serve out the remainder of Lott’s term and will be up for re-election in 2012.

3. Why do some analysts and Democrats find fault with the Nov. 4 date?

A Nov. 4 special election date is far from ideal for Democrats given that the GOP appointee will have gained nearly one year of experience and exposure by the time he or she likely makes a bid for the full term. Democrats say they are concerned that voters would not be given the immediate right to have a duly-elected official in office if Lott resigns this year and the election is not held until November 2008.

State election law states : “the election shall be held within ninety (90) days from the time the proclamation is issued” to call for a special election “...unless the vacancy shall occur in a year that there shall be held a general state or congressional election, in which event the Governor’s proclamation shall designate the general election day as the time for electing a Senator.”

Democrats and others argue that if the vacancy occurs in 2007, the law stipulates that an election will occur within 90 days. But Kell Smith, spokesman for Democratic Secretary of State Eric Clark said that their office “agrees” with the proclamation and explained to CQ Politics that the vacancy date is irrelevant because general state elections were held this year and congressional elections are held next year and the next date for a general election is Nov. 4, 2008.

4. Who will be appointed?

While the decision is up to Gov. Barbour, the top names being floated are Republican Reps. Charles W. “Chip” Pickering Jr. of the 3rd District and Roger Wicker of the 1st District. Both men worked for Lott before beginning their own Congressional careers. Pickering has long held Senate aspirations but announced in August that he would retire from the House, leaving open the possibility of a future return to politics. A special election would be necessary to fill the seats of any sitting member of Congress is appointed.

Additional Republican names being mentioned include: Mark Keenum, Under Secretary for the Department of Agriculture and Cochran’s former Chief of Staff; Glen McCullough, former chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority and former mayor of Tupelo; state Sen. Charlie Ross; and state Treasurer Tate Reeves.

Barbour said Monday he will not appoint himself and will not be a candidate in 2008.

5. Who may run on the Democratic side and what chance do they have of overtaking the seat?

Democratic former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and former Attorney General Mike Moore are the top Democrats being discussed as potential 2008 candidates. Both have statewide name recognition but would begin the race at a disadvantage. Though Mississippi has many Democratic areas, Republicans have fared very well statewide in recent years. Republican Gov. Haley Barbour was easily re-elected this year and President Bush won re-election by 20 percentage points in 2004.

CQ Politics has rated this race as “Republican Favored.”