WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th November, 2020) David Andahl, a cattle rancher in the US state of North Dakota and a Republican, won a seat in the House of Representatives but after he died last month while being infected with the novel coronavirus, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
Andahl contracted the novel coronavirs in the fall amid a significant increase in North Dakota residents who tested positive for the virus, the report said. He was treated in a hospital for four days, but despite the doctors' best efforts died on October 5.
The North Dakota election authorities had no precedent to guide them how to address the death of a candidate so close to Election Day.
Consequently, the state attorney general issued an opinion later in October, saying the local Republican Party would be responsible for filling the vacant seat in case Andahl wins until a special election is held.
