Some Possibly Interesting Statistics
Feb. 21st, 2016 04:32 pmNot counting the death of Antonin Scalia, there have been fourteen occasions when a vacancy occurred in the Supreme Court, by death, resignation, or retirement, in a presidential election year.
On ten of those occasions, the vacancy was filled by the incumbent president; this includes four occasions when the presidency changed parties.
The last time the incumbent did not fill the vacancy was 1860. There have been eight such vacancies since then, all filled by the incumbent, including three occasions when the presidency changed hands.
It's true that there's been only one time in the last eighty years that an election-year vacancy was filled by the incumbent. But that was also the only time in the last eighty years that there's been an election-year vacancy.
( The full details are under the cut. )
On ten of those occasions, the vacancy was filled by the incumbent president; this includes four occasions when the presidency changed parties.
The last time the incumbent did not fill the vacancy was 1860. There have been eight such vacancies since then, all filled by the incumbent, including three occasions when the presidency changed hands.
It's true that there's been only one time in the last eighty years that an election-year vacancy was filled by the incumbent. But that was also the only time in the last eighty years that there's been an election-year vacancy.