WY Senator dies

[TexasTiger 13,017]

(CNN) -- Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas died Monday, according to his spokesman. He was 74.

The Republican senator had been battling leukemia since November. He was also battling an infection, according to a statement from his office.

Thomas was in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy when he was re-elected to a third term last November.

After three weeks of treatment, he returned to work in the Senate in early December.

Earlier Monday, Thomas was in serious condition at a Washington-area hospital undergoing another round of chemotherapy after his blood cancer proved "resistant" to treatment, his office said.

Doctors administered a second round of chemotherapy to control Thomas' disease, but the leukemia "has proved resistant to their most recent efforts," according to a statement issued earlier Monday.

Thomas first came to Congress in 1989, when he won the Equality State's lone House seat in a special election after now-Vice President Dick Cheney resigned to become defense secretary. In 1994, he won an open Senate seat and easily won re-election in 2000 and 2006.

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, will be responsible for choosing someone to replace Thomas. The seat, however, will not switch parties because, under state law, Freudenthal is required to pick a new senator from a list of three candidates submitted by the Republican state central committee.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/04/sen...omas/index.html

May God bless him and his family.

[AURaptor 1,126]

Curious state law Wyoming has. Thoughts and sympathies for the Senator's family.