FERRIDAY &8212; Only a day after the official announcement of state Rep. Bryant Hammett&8217;s resignation effective June 30 names for the vacancy are beginning to surface.

A special election will be called by the Speaker of the House to fill the seat which represents Concordia, East Carroll, Madison and Tensas Parishes,

Assistant Director of Elections Nancy Underwood said Friday.

&8220;No appointment gets made and the House of Representatives presiding officer will call a special election,&8221; she said.

No election time has been announced yet.

Hammett &8212; who has held the seat since 1992 &8212; is stepping down to take a state job overseeing disaster relief funds and projects.

Ferriday Police Chief Richard Madision is the only candidate to officially announce plans to run for the seat, but others haven&8217;t ruled it out.

Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said the seat is something he may consider.

&8220;I have had a number of calls, some wanting me to run and some not,&8221; Copeland said. &8220;I will look at it, confer with my friends, family and supporters and make a decision within a week to 10 days.&8221;

Ferriday Mayor Gene Allen&8217;s name is also one being tossed around political circles, but his ideas on the position are not exact, either.

&8220;I have had several calls about the position to consider the job,&8221; Allen said. &8220;I have not ruled it out, but have not said I&8217;m even going to think about it either.&8221;

Attorney Derrick Carson&8217;s name is being added to the collection for a reason he didn&8217;t give.

&8220;I haven&8217;t told anybody anything about having any political aspirations,&8221; he said. &8220;This is not an issue with me at this point in my life.&8221;

Emerson Slain, who has been active in Ferriday politics, said he would not run, but respected Hammett&8217;s work.

Candidate or not, the decision to run is one that offers no turning back, Copeland said.

&8220;If you decide to do it, regardless of who&8217;s running, you make up your mind and do it,&8221; Copeland said.

Madison has his mind made up, he said.

&8220;I treat everything like combat,&8221; he said. &8220;You don&8217;t go to lose, you go to win.&8221;

Madison listed a focus on civil service, special attention to veterans and bringing more industry to the delta area of Louisiana as some of his main goals.

&8220;I would encourage farmers throughout the state to increase the yield of corn and soybeans to fuel ethanol plants.

&8220;I believe it&8217;s time someone stepped forward to support the community, to enhance the quality of life for all citizens.&8221;

District 21 seat representative Hammett will take a job in the State Office of Community Development. Hammett will be in charge of a team overseeing disaster recovery for state and government infrastructure impacted by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. He will also be in charge of $1.2 billion to deal with necessary infrastructure elements such as drainage, water systems, roads and sewers.