Yesterday, Senator Craig Thomas passed away from leukemia at age 74. He was diagnosed with the disease last year, while running for re-election. Senator Thomas was a former member of the House of Rep's, Wyoming legislature and a Marine.

The Hill outlines Wyoming's unique process for filling the seat:

Thomas will be replaced by a Republican. But the process is unusual.

The state’s governor, Democrat Dave Freudenthal, is formally notified of the vacancy, he will contact the state central committee of the outgoing incumbent’s party — in Thomas’s case, the Republicans.

The Republican state central committee chairman will then have 15 days to conduct a meeting to select three names of candidates who would satisfy constitutional requirements.

Those names will then be given to the governor, who will have five days to select one of them for a temporary appointment. The appointee will serve until the next general election, at which point a new senator would be elected to serve out the term.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Gary Officer is a project director with Political Media, Inc., a D.C. based political advertising firm.