Section 17-4 - State representatives(a) Whenever any vacancy in the membership of the state house of representatives occurs, the governor shall make an appointment within sixty calendar days following the first day of vacancy to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term by selecting a person from a list of three prospective appointees submitted by the same political party as the prior incumbent. The appointee shall be, at the time of appointment, and shall have been, for at least six months immediately prior to the appointment, a member of the political party. The appointee shall, at the time of appointment, be a resident of the same state representative district as the prior incumbent. The political party shall submit the list of prospective appointees to the governor within thirty calendar days following the first day of vacancy.(b) If the prior incumbent was not a member of any political party, the governor, within sixty calendar days following the first day of vacancy, shall appoint a person who is at the time of appointment a resident of the same state representative district as the prior incumbent and is not and has not been, for at least six months immediately prior to the appointment, a member of any political party.L 1970, c 26, pt of §2; gen ch 1985; am L 1992, c 276, §2; am L 2007, c 57, §4 .