Buzz
In the 2018 midterms, Dennis Hof, a Nevada-based reality TV personality, brothel proprietor, and author of The Art of the Pimp, successfully won a seat in the Nevada state legislature for the 36th Assembly District. However, there was a twist: Hof had died three weeks prior to the election.
Though Hof’s case was unusual, it wasn’t the first of its kind. Below are several instances where candidates triumphed in elections despite having passed away.
Anthony DeLuca // Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania state representative Anthony DeLuca secured a remarkable 85 percent of the votes during the 2022 midterm elections. Sadly, he had succumbed to cancer a month earlier. Pennsylvania law prevented the substitution of candidates once ballots were printed, allowing his name to remain. “While deeply saddened by Representative Tony DeLuca’s passing, we are proud that voters reaffirmed their trust in him and his dedication to Democratic values by re-electing him posthumously. A special election will be held shortly,” the PA House Dems stated on X.
Mel Carnahan // Missouri
In 2000, Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan achieved a historic Senate victory—38 days after his tragic death in a plane crash that also took the lives of his son and a campaign advisor. Carnahan defeated incumbent Senator John Ashcroft, who later became U.S. Attorney General under President George W. Bush. Carnahan’s wife, Jean, temporarily assumed his Senate seat until a special election in 2002.
Carl Geary // Tennessee
In early 2010, Tracy City, Tennessee, voters overwhelmingly elected Carl Geary as mayor, with over 70 percent of the vote, unseating incumbent Barbara Brock. However, Geary could not take office, having passed away from a heart attack a month before the election.
For some voters, Geary’s win appeared to be a heartfelt tribute, while others viewed it as a choice between two unfavorable options. In a Telegraph story covering the election, Geary’s wife Susan shared, “The day he died, people called to offer condolences and said, ‘We’re still voting for him.’”
“I knew he had passed away,” one voter admitted. “It might sound odd, but we preferred anyone over [Brock].” Interestingly, Brock had become mayor less than two years earlier after the previous mayor died of a heart attack.
Harry Stonebraker // Missouri
In 2009, Missouri voters made headlines again by re-electing Winfield’s late mayor Harry Stonebraker to a fourth term with an overwhelming 90 percent of the vote. As reported by the NY Daily News, Stonebraker’s sudden death from a heart attack only amplified his existing popularity, which had soared after he led flood recovery efforts the previous year.
Stonebraker’s opponent, Bernie Panther, a town alderman, failed to convince voters he was a better choice than their beloved late mayor, securing only 23 votes in total.
Patsy Mink // Hawaii
Patsy Mink, a pioneering political figure, represented Hawaii for 12 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. After roles in President Carter’s administration and on the Honolulu city council, Mink returned to Congress in 1990, serving until her death from pneumonia just weeks before the 2002 election. Following a state funeral, Hawaii voters posthumously re-elected her to Congress, though her seat was later filled through a special election.
Jenny Oropeza // California
In the 2010 midterms, California state senator Jenny Oropeza secured re-election, despite passing away two weeks prior due to complications from a blood clot. Despite her limited campaign presence due to illness, the incumbent won decisively with 58 percent of the vote against her opponent’s 36 percent.
