By KWMU/AP
St. Louis, MO – Missouri Governor Matt Blunt has set April 4 as the date for special election to fill State Senator John Dolan's seat.
Dolan (R-Lake St. Louis) resigned earlier this month to take a job as a lobbyist with the Missouri Health Care Association. Democrats had criticized the governor for not setting an election date sooner.
The governor also set a special election to fill a vacant state House on Tuesday. Republican Jack Goodman recently left his seat as 132nd District Representative (in Lawrence County) to become a state Senator. The election to fill Goodman's seat will be Feb. 7.
Democrats accuse Blunt of politics in setting the Senate election two months after the special House election. But a Blunt spokesman says the governor gave more time for the Senate election because it is a larger district.