Let voters decide who will represent them

In recent months, five Democratic lawmakers in the Missouri General Assembly have resigned or died. In each case, Gov. Bob Holden acted swiftly -- within a day or two -- to call a special election to fill the vacancies.

State Rep. David Levin, a Republican representing a St. Louis County district, resigned from his House seat two months ago. Holden still hasn't called a special election. Last week, the governor said: "I'll try to get to that."

As a result of Holden's partisan approach to filling legislative vacancies, some 30,000 residents of Levin's district have no representation in the Missouri House for this year's crucial legislative session.

Jerry Nachtigal, the governor's spokesman, at least had the good sense not to try to gloss the situation. "A Democratic governor is not going to be in a rush to fill a Republican vacancy."

This is the kind of politics that makes voters apathetic and gives politicians a black eye. A better way of handling this would be for the governor to give his full support to the candidate of his choice in a special election called at the earliest possible date.