Supreme Chancellor election, 32 BBY

During the final years of the Republic Era, the Galactic Senate held an election that saw Finis Valorum replaced by Sheev Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic in 32 BBY. It resulted from Queen Padmé Amidala's call for a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum, convinced that the Republic needed stronger leadership in order to end the Trade Federation's occupation of the planet Naboo. Sympathizing with the plight of Amidala's homeworld, the Senate voted for the galactic representative of the Naboo people, Senator Palpatine who defeated Senator Bail Antilles of Alderaan and Senator Ainlee Teem of Malastare.

The new Supreme Chancellor promised to bring peace and prosperity to the Republic. In secret, however, Sheev Palpatine was Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith who conspired to rule the galaxy by supplanting democracy with a dictatorship. He orchestrated the Separatist Crisis and the Clone Wars, both of which allowed Palpatine to remain as head of the Office of the Chancellor despite its constitutional term limits.

In 19 BBY, the Clone Wars concluded with Chancellor Palpatine proclaiming himself Galactic Emperor, establishing the New Order of the First Galactic Empire. With his rise to power complete, Sidious discarded the public persona of Palpatine by embracing his Sith identity in thought and action throughout his reign as Emperor.

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