legislators to his administration. Frank Lasee, who represented Senate District 1, took a position at the Department of Workforce Development and Keith Ripp, who represented Assembly District 42, went to a new job at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection— both resignations were effective on Dec. 29, 2017.

When making these hires, Walker indicated he would not call special elections for either of these districts, opting to leave them vacant until the regularly scheduled fall elections on Nov. 6, 2018. Even with those two seats vacant, Wisconsin Republicans will continue to hold comfortable majorities in both the Assembly and state Senate as each wraps up the 2018 legislative session and hold a special session.

Frank Lasee resigned the state Senate District 1 seat to take a job withas promptly as possible by special election."

The Walker administration claims the governor's decision aligns with this requirement, because both Lasee and Ripp would have been up for reelection in 2018, but officially resigned their seats on the final weekday of 2017. If their official resignation dates were just a few days later, Walker would have been legally required to call a special election.

Wisconsin State Legislature Keith Ripp resigned from the Wisconsin Assembly, where he represented District 42, after accepting a new job at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

When a governor does call a special election, state statute requires it to be held within 62 to 77 days.

Walker intends to leave both open seats empty for about a year. In early January, the governor laid