Death in office
A person may temporarily take the powers and responsibilities of the deceased in an "acting" capacity before a permanent replacement is made.For example, in hereditary monarchies reigns are typically expected to end with death and the transition of power to an heir.Upon the death of a member of the United States House of Representatives, a special election is held to pick a successor.The most recent member of the U.S. Congress to die in office was Representative Bill Pascrell of the 9th Congressional District of New Jersey on August 21, 2024, of a respiratory infection.Many mayors (e.g., George Moscone, Harold Washington, Ed Lee) and state governors (e.g., Lurleen Wallace, Lawton Chiles, Frank O'Bannon) have died in office.