Just when we thought the number of special elections was winding down after Debbie Lesko (R) won the AZ-8 election on April 24 to replace resigned Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), new vacancies are popping up.

Recently, Pennsylvania Rep. Pat Meehan (R-PA), who previously had announced his retirement for term’s end, abruptly resigned when learning the House Ethics Committee was going to launch an investigation into the severance payment he awarded to one of his staff employees. The source of this particular payout was the special taxpayer-funded congressional account founded to cover members’ special staff settlements.

Rep. Meehan also pledged to ...