By Ashley Speagle
Correspondent
ATLANTA -- Nearly all the candidates for the 9th District seat in Congress plan to step up their campaigns for the May 11 special election to win months of incumbency.
"Being the incumbent, that'll boost it tremendously for November," candidate Steve Tarvin said.
U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Gainesville, resigned Sunday, just after casting his vote against federal health reform, to focus on the Georgia governor's race.
His resignation leaves the 9th District seat empty until the district votes in someone to serve temporarily before a new representative takes office after the November elections.
Candidates for the special election need to qualify by Wednesday to be on the ballot. Two state lawmakers -- Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, and Sen. Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville -- resigned Tuesday to campaign.
Their seats, in House District 12 and Senate District 49, also will be on the special election ballots to be filled temporarily.
The special elections, originally scheduled April 27, were moved back at the secretary of state's recommendation to give military personnel overseas more time to receive and return ballots.
At least seven candidates for the 9th District seat have announced their intentions to run in the special election, including Republicans Chris Cates, Lee Hawkins, Bert Loftman, Bill Stephens and Mr. Tarvin; Democrat Mike Freeman and Independent Eugene Moon.
Republican Jeremy Jones was going to run for Rep. Graves' seat but now plans to run for Senate District 53 instead, according to PeachPundit.com. Republican Clyde Daniel Benton, another expected candidate for Rep. Graves' seat, could not be reached for comment.
Mr. Moon said the special election could be especially important to his campaign, since he's still working to get enough voters' signatures to qualify in the partisan November elections.
"We've had to rearrange our whole campaign schedule, but it will help us even more in getting signatures," he said.
As the only Democrat, Mr. Freeman said the special election could help his race against the long list of Republicans.
"It's another election, another chance to get my name out, and it's got us a lot more focused a lot quicker," he said. "It remains to be seen how effective we can be in six weeks versus four months."
He said winning the special election likely will be essential to winning the November elections.
"(The winner) will be the incumbent, but not long enough to make too many people mad at them," he said.
Candidates for House District 12, former Rep. Graves' seat, have not confirmed participation in the special election.
Mr. Graves will leave not only his seat but also two bills that he was leading through the Legislature.
House Bill 44, supporting zero-based budgeting, was left over from last session. It has not been calendared in the Senate, but Rep. Graves left it up to Sen. David Shafer, R-Duluth.
Mr. Graves passed HB 1023, a job incentives bill, to Rep. John Lunsford, R-McDonough, and Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock.
But officials said that bill will not move further this session, having not seen the House floor for a vote.
"Not everybody believes in tax cuts to stimulate the economy, and we have to continually fight this fight," said the bill's co-sponsor, Rep. Martin Scott, R-Rossville.