The seat could be declared vacant by Congress. This happened in the early 80s when Rep. Gladys Noon Spellman (D-MD) had a heart attack and fell into a coma shortly before the 1980 election. She was reelected anyway, but after the next Congress convened and it became clear she would never re-awaken, the seat was declared vacant and a special election was held. (Steny Hoyer then won the seat and has held it ever since.)
If Granger had been reelected then this or something similar would probably be under consideration. As it is, this sounds like they pulled off something like a real life version of "Weekend At Bernie's" in which she was still physically alive but unable to serve and somehow it was kept secret until it no longer mattered.
Yes, extraordinary! There should be some way to create a vacancy when a member of Congress is no longer mentally able to resign.
The seat could be declared vacant by Congress. This happened in the early 80s when Rep. Gladys Noon Spellman (D-MD) had a heart attack and fell into a coma shortly before the 1980 election. She was reelected anyway, but after the next Congress convened and it became clear she would never re-awaken, the seat was declared vacant and a special election was held. (Steny Hoyer then won the seat and has held it ever since.)
If Granger had been reelected then this or something similar would probably be under consideration. As it is, this sounds like they pulled off something like a real life version of "Weekend At Bernie's" in which she was still physically alive but unable to serve and somehow it was kept secret until it no longer mattered.