UPDATE: Mason could wait until September to set up successor to finish his term

State Sen. and Minority Whip Lance Mason (D-Cleveland) was appointed Monday by Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) to the Cuyahoga Court of Common Pleas.

The appointment will leave a vacancy in Mason's Senate seat as well as Ohio Senate Minority leadership. The announcement from Strickland said that Mason will begin his service on August 25. But if Mason resigns before the first week in September a special election will be required to replace him. If he waits, then then Democratic caucus members can name a replacement to serve out the rest of Mason's term to 2010.

UPDATE: The reason Mason would have to wait until the first week in September to step down, in order to avoid a special election, is that the Ohio Constitution states any vacancies occuring in the first 20 months of a term "shall be filled temporarily by election."

Mason would exceed 20 months if he waited to step down until the first week in September.

Senate Democrats are unsure of a timeline for the replacement at this point, considering Mason has yet to resign.

Possible Mason replacements include state Rep. Kenny Yuko and Cleveland City Councilman Zack Reed.

Some Senate Democrats speculated to PolitickerOH.com on Mason's replacement in the caucus leadership.

State Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) is currently assistantant minority whip, and seems poised to move up. State Sen. Dale Miller (D-Cleveland) currently acts as policy caucus chair. His current title is a non-official leadership position. If he were named minority whip he would get an official leadership position.

State Sen. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and state Sen. Tom Roberts (D-Trotwood) are both part of the ousted leadership and are unlikely candidates.

State Sens. Tom Sawyer (D-Akron) and Jason Wilson (D-Columbiana) might get the appointment due to their support for Miller's takeover of caucus leadership.

Some Democrats would like to see state Sen. Eric Kearney (D-Cincinnati) move into leadership, while state Sen. Sue Morano (D-Lorain) seemed unlikely to pursue the position.

It was also suggested to PolitickerOH.com that Miller may appoint Mason's replacement Minority Whip so as to better insure his own current leadership position.