Galactic Republic Chancery election , 32 BBY The Galactic Republic Chancery election of 32 BBY was the last time a new Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic was chosen . The election was held after Chancellor Finis Valorum lost a Vote of No Confidence in the Galactic Senate due to the Republic ' s mishandling of the crisis on Naboo . Though Bail Antilles and Ainlee Teem were nominated as Valorum ' s successor , the Senate voted overwhelmingly to support then - Senator Palpatine of Naboo , at the time a relatively obscure figure . Though outside observers considered Palpatine ' s election to be a surprise , he had manipulated events ( both in his public identity and in his secret role as Darth Sidious , Dark Lord of the Sith ) to ensure not only that an early election would be held , but that he would win it . After winning the election , Palpatine led the galaxy as Chancellor and as Galactic Emperor for thirty - six years . Background . Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum , a member of the Core faction of Senators , had been elected to his position in 40 BBY , and re - elected in 36 BBY , largely due to the influence and fame of his family . He was widely accepted to be an honorable man who truly desired the best for the galaxy ; however , his stated position of continuing Republic policies detrimental to major corporations , slow responses to developing situations , reliance on bureaucracy , and conservative nature angered many in the opposing Rim faction and even left many of his supporters doubtful of him . The rumor that Valorum was carrying out an affair with his Senior Administrative Aide , Sei Taria , no doubt also contributed to his plummeting support . In 33 BBY , things finally came to a head . His role in the Yinchorri Uprising resulted in him ordering two Jedi to their deaths , and in the resulting negotiations for a blockade he had to use up his last political favors in convincing the Senate ' s core members to back his plan . The long delay before action was finally taken made him appear weak and caused his political career to dive in the eyes of the public . A short while later , the Nebula Front destroyed a Trade Federation cargo ship over Dorvalla . The Senators of the Rim faction demanded that the restrictions on the large corporations arming themselves be lifted ; Senator Palpatine , one of Valorum ' s closest advisers , recommended that Valorum concede , but at the cost of taxing the free - trade zones that , ironically , had been established by Valorum ' s father . This caused an uproar when Valorum announced " his " plan to the Galactic Senate ; however , the situation was somewhat ameliorated when Palpatine suggested to the Senate his plans for a trade summit , to consist of representatives from the Senate , important commerce worlds , and the industrial groups . The summit was set on the planet Eriadu , but was marked by disaster : prior to the summit , there was an attempt made on Coruscant to assassinate Valorum , while during the summit itself , the entire Trade Federation Directorate , minus Viceroy Nute Gunray , were murdered in a plan orchestrated by Palpatine . The summit ended prematurely with nothing decided , and in the end the Senate enacted the taxation without allowing for the corporations to arm themselves against pirate raids . Shortly after the end of the summit , Senator Orn Free Taa , leader of the Rim faction and member of the Allocations and Financial Appropriations Committee s , discovered that a large amount of aurodium stolen from the Trade Federation at Dorvalla by the Nebula Front had made its way into Valorum ' s bank account . This forced Bail Antilles , leader of Valorum ' s own Core faction and chairman of the Internal Activities Committee , to charge Valorum with corruption and bring him before the Supreme Court . This created a decisive shift in power in the Senate towards the Rim faction , which quickly passed measures prohibiting the Chancellor from using Jedi or the Judicial Forces without first informing and gaining consent of the Senate . Mas Amedda , a Senator of the Rim faction , was installed as Vice Chancellor at this time , in an effort to block any further proposals that Valorum or his faction might make . While this was going on , Palpatine ( in his Darth Sidious persona ) had instructed the Trade Federation to arm themselves , and to blockade Naboo — to protest both the taxation and as an act of revenge against Palpatine , the Senator who had proposed the trade summit that had been so disastrous to the Federation . Shortly before the blockade , Naboo ' s King Ars Veruna had abdicated and then been assassinated , and was replaced by the young Padmé Amidala , who due to her inexperience , had given Palpatine carte blanche in his Senate conduct . He urged Valorum to intervene , but the Trade Federation Senator , Lott Dod , was able to stall any procedures , making Valorum look weaker and weaker with every passing moment . After being personally contacted by Queen Amidala , Valorum secretly approached the Jedi Council and illegally requested that they send Jedi Knights to Naboo as ambassadors . This resulted in a landing of Trade Federation forces on the planet ; however , the Jedi , Qui - Gon Jinn and Obi - Wan Kenobi , were able to bring the Queen to Coruscant to address the Senate directly . Although she bore no ill will towards Valorum for his inaction , Palpatine informed her that he would take no further action and that , even though only a few months were left in his term , a new Chancellor would have to be elected immediately if Naboo were to be saved . The young Amidala deferred to Palpatine ' s greater experience , and upon addressing the Senate , called for a vote of no confidence in Valorum . It passed , and the election process began . Candidates . As far back as Amedda ' s election to Vice Chair , Taa had decided on nominating Palpatine as the Rim faction ' s candidate , assuming that he could be counted on stopping Valorum ' s program of government interference . Despite stating what a surprise it was to be chosen , Palpatine had obviously been planning a run for the Chancery for some time ; among the various elite of Galactic politics , the Galactic Corporate Policy League had pledged to support him in a bid for the highest office . Palpatine must have seen even more attractive to him now , as in Palpatine ' s own words , the situation would give him a large sympathy vote . Additionally , as an independent , many saw him as a compromise candidate who would avoid the extremes of politics , while others viewed him as a naïve and inexperienced puppet who could be controlled . As Palpatine was known as advocating changing policies and imagery on government property that offended nonhumans , and for avoiding conflict , he presumably appealed to nonhumans and pacifists ; and as a Human Senator of a Human world that was being threatened by an aggressive nonhuman corporation , he presumably appealed to Humanocentrists , and anti - corporate campaigners . Ainlee Teem , a Gran representative of Malastare , was also nominated . Due to his homeworld , he was presumably nominated by a rogue group of Rim factioneers who did not like supporting someone that was not even in their own party . He received the backing of the Corporate Policy League . Finally , Bail Antilles , the Human Senator of Alderaan was the third candidate . He was no doubt selected to represent the Core faction that he led . Election and aftermath . The factors favored Palpatine , and the Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of him . Although by the time he had taken office the Naboo situation had already been resolved , he promised to reunite the disaffected among the people and restore the remembered glories of the Republic . Although his efforts at reform would be stymied ( by his own design ) , he would win his re - election in 28 BBY , only to be given an unlimited tenure via a Constitutional amendment in 24 BBY at the onset of the Separatist Crisis . Shortly after losing the vote , Antilles retired from the Senate and was replaced by his relative - through - marriage , Bail Organa . Following his removal from office , Valorum retired from politics , and spent the last few years of his life writing an unsuccessful autobiography and doing work for the Refugee Relief Movement .