The issue of who will be West Virginia's next U.S. senator has become more complex than it may sound, because it has led to a second question: Who will be our next governor?

Gov. Joe Manchin has called state legislators into a special session that is to begin Thursday. On the agenda will be Manchin's request for what some have termed "clarification" of existing state law on filling vacancies in our delegation to the U.S. Senate.

After former Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., died, it was found that state law requires Manchin to appoint a successor. That much most West Virginians knew intuitively, we suspect.

But what few of us expected was that the law also seems to require that an election for someone to fill Byrd's unexpired term cannot be held until sometime in 2012.

As we have commented, a delay of that length, in which an appointed senator would represent West Virginia in Washington, is not acceptable. Manchin's call is for legislators to amend the law so a new senator can be elected sometime later this year.

However, Manchin has indicated he probably will be a candidate for the Senate. If he is elected to the post, a vacancy in the office of governor would be created. The law calls for state Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, D-Logan, to become acting governor in such an eventuality.

If you are a long-time observer of Mountain State politics, you may have guessed why some people don't like that idea: Tomblin wants to be governor. Serving as acting chief executive, perhaps for more than two years, would give him an advantage when the position is on the ballot next, in 2012.

Some politicians don't like that, so it has been suggested that while lawmakers are at it, they also should change the gubernatorial succession law.

At some point it may be prudent to address the gubernatorial succession law - but controversy over it should not be allowed to delay action on the U.S. Senate seat.

State Sen. Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, already has announced he is running for governor. Clearly, Kessler has a stake in whether Tomblin gains an advantage in the 2012 race.

Yet Kessler has adopted what we believe is a non-political attitude - serving the people of West Virginia rather than his own interests. He believes action on the U.S. Senate succession law should be gotten out of the way before legislators tackle even more controversial matters. "We have to deal with what is immediately at hand, and that's the U.S. Senate appointment," Kessler told our reporter.

We agree. When legislators go to Charleston Thursday, they should tackle the Senate succession law and agree to changes in it before considering any other election law amendments. We hope other lawmakers agree with Kessler.