The election that took place in 32 BBY to determine the next Supreme Chancellor was the last such event for the Galactic Republic. This election became necessary after the Galactic Senate passed a Vote of No Confidence concerning the leadership of then-Chancellor Finis Valorum, which was triggered by the Republic's perceived mismanagement of the Naboo crisis. While Bail Antilles and Ainlee Teem also vied for the position, Senator Palpatine from Naboo, previously a relatively unknown figure, secured a resounding victory in the Senate vote. Despite the unexpected nature of Palpatine's win from an outsider's perspective, he had strategically manipulated events, both as a public figure and secretly as Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, to guarantee the election would occur and that he would be the victor. Palpatine subsequently governed the galaxy for thirty-six years, first as Chancellor and later as Galactic Emperor, following his election.
Finis Valorum, the Supreme Chancellor who was a member of the Core faction within the Senate, had initially been elected in 40 BBY and subsequently re-elected in 36 BBY, largely thanks to the prestige and influence associated with his family. While widely regarded as an honorable individual genuinely committed to the galaxy's welfare, his public stance on maintaining Republic policies that were detrimental to major corporations, coupled with his sluggish responses to emerging crises, heavy reliance on bureaucratic processes, and generally conservative approach, stirred discontent among the opposing Rim faction and even caused some of his supporters to question his effectiveness. Further eroding his support were rumors surrounding a supposed affair with his Senior Administrative Aide, Sei Taria.
Matters reached a critical point in 33 BBY. His involvement in the Yinchorri Uprising led to him ordering two Jedi into a fatal situation, and the ensuing negotiations for a blockade forced him to exhaust his remaining political capital to secure the backing of the Senate's core members for his plan. The significant delay before any action was taken made him appear indecisive, severely damaging his public image and political standing.
Shortly thereafter, the Nebula Front destroyed a Trade Federation cargo ship near Dorvalla. In response, Senators from the Rim faction demanded the removal of restrictions on large corporations' ability to arm themselves. Senator Palpatine, a close advisor to Valorum, suggested that Valorum concede to this demand, but in exchange for taxing the free-trade zones that had ironically been established by Valorum's father. The announcement of "his" plan to the Galactic Senate triggered widespread outrage. However, the situation was somewhat diffused when Palpatine proposed to the Senate a trade summit involving representatives from the Senate, key commercial worlds, and industrial groups.
The summit was scheduled to take place on Eriadu, but it was marred by disaster. Prior to the summit, an attempt was made on Valorum's life on Coruscant, and during the summit itself, the entire Trade Federation Directorate, with the exception of Viceroy Nute Gunray, was assassinated in a scheme masterminded by Palpatine. The summit concluded prematurely without any resolutions, and ultimately, the Senate approved the taxation without allowing corporations to arm themselves against pirate attacks.
Shortly after the summit concluded, Senator Orn Free Taa, who led the Rim faction and was a member of both the Allocations and Financial Appropriations Committees, discovered that a significant quantity of aurodium stolen from the Trade Federation at Dorvalla by the Nebula Front had found its way into Valorum's personal bank account. This compelled Bail Antilles, the leader of Valorum's own Core faction and chairman of the Internal Activities Committee, to formally accuse Valorum of corruption and bring him before the Supreme Court. This development resulted in a decisive power shift within the Senate towards the Rim faction, which swiftly enacted measures to prevent the Chancellor from deploying Jedi or the Judicial Forces without obtaining prior consent from the Senate. Mas Amedda, a Senator affiliated with the Rim faction, was appointed as Vice Chancellor during this period, with the intention of blocking any future proposals put forth by Valorum or his faction.
Concurrently, Palpatine, in his guise as Darth Sidious, instructed the Trade Federation to arm themselves and initiate a blockade of Naboo, ostensibly as a protest against the taxation and as retribution against Palpatine himself, the Senator who had proposed the disastrous trade summit. Shortly before the blockade, Naboo's King Ars Veruna had abdicated and subsequently been assassinated, leading to his replacement by the young Padmé Amidala, who, due to her lack of experience, granted Palpatine considerable latitude in his Senate activities. He urged Valorum to intervene, but the Trade Federation Senator, Lott Dod, managed to stall any progress, further weakening Valorum's position.
Following direct contact from Queen Amidala, Valorum secretly approached the Jedi Council and unlawfully requested that they dispatch Jedi Knights to Naboo as ambassadors. This resulted in Trade Federation forces landing on the planet. However, the Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, were able to escort the Queen to Coruscant to address the Senate in person. Despite harboring no animosity towards Valorum for his inaction, Palpatine informed her that he would not take further action and that, even with only a few months remaining in his term, a new Chancellor would need to be elected immediately if Naboo was to be saved. The inexperienced Amidala deferred to Palpatine's greater experience, and upon addressing the Senate, she called for a vote of no confidence in Valorum. The motion passed, initiating the election process.
Taa had determined to nominate Palpatine as the Rim faction's candidate as early as Amedda's election to Vice Chair, assuming that Palpatine could be relied upon to halt Valorum's program of government intervention. Despite claiming surprise at his selection, Palpatine had clearly been planning a campaign for the Chancery for some time. The Galactic Corporate Policy League, among the various elites of Galactic politics, had pledged its support for his bid for the highest office. The situation must have appeared even more appealing to Palpatine now, as, in his own words, it would generate significant sympathy votes. Furthermore, his status as an independent made him appear as a compromise candidate who could avoid political extremes to many, while others perceived him as a naive and inexperienced figurehead who could be manipulated. Palpatine was known for advocating changes to policies and imagery on government property that offended nonhumans, and for avoiding conflict, which presumably appealed to nonhumans and pacifists. As a Human Senator representing a Human world threatened by an aggressive nonhuman corporation, he likely appealed to Humanocentrists and anti-corporate activists.
Ainlee Teem, a Gran representative from Malastare, also received a nomination. His nomination likely came from a rogue faction within the Rim faction who opposed supporting someone outside of their own party. The Corporate Policy League supported him.
Finally, Bail Antilles, the Human Senator from Alderaan, was the third candidate. He was undoubtedly chosen to represent the Core faction that he led.
The circumstances favored Palpatine, and the Senate overwhelmingly voted for him. Although the Naboo situation had already been resolved by the time he assumed office, he pledged to unite the disaffected and restore the Republic's past glory. Despite his reform efforts being deliberately thwarted by himself, he secured re-election in 28 BBY, only to be granted an unlimited term through a Constitutional amendment in 24 BBY at the beginning of the Separatist Crisis.
Shortly after his electoral defeat, Antilles retired from the Senate and was succeeded by his relative-through-marriage, Bail Organa. Despite winning the election as the Rim faction's nominee, the Core faction would become Palpatine's primary power base. The Rim faction would also experience a significant decline in influence as a result of this and eventually the Clone Wars, during which many of its senators and planets seceded to join the CIS.
Following his removal from office, Valorum retired from politics and dedicated the final years of his life to writing an unsuccessful autobiography and working for the Refugee Relief Movement.