Keeping to his word, Governor Roger B. Wilson appointed Carnahan’s widow, Jean Carnahan, to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected.

There’s something of a historical tradition of having a legislator’s wife fill in for them if they die.

goes looking for a list

https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/WIC/Historical-Data/Familial-Connections-of-Women-Representatives-and-Senators-in-Congress/

As of 2025, 45 women have directly succeeded their late husbands in Congress (38 in the House and eight in the Senate). Seven widows have represented California—more than any other state—including the first two in the House, Mae Ella Nolan (1923–1925) and Florence Prag Kahn (1925–1937). In 1931, Hattie Caraway of Arkansas became the first widow to succeed her late husband in the Senate. The following charts contain lists of all widows who have served in Congress as well as other family connections pertinent to women in Congress.