The question of timing

I think it's worth nothing that, aside from giving me a shout-out, Ben did some fine job connecting the dots regarding States McCarter's resignation. Namely that McCarter decided to call it quits at the last moment possible so in order to have the special election held on March 20. Had he waited any later, it would have been bumped to June.

Nefarious? I don't think so. Intentional? Quite possibly. Since McCarter ain't talking, we won't know. But it does appear logical to speculate that a man who had repeatedly, both in public and private, said he planned to retire mid-term would put this kind of thought into his decision.