Related articles:

Democrats vie for vacant seat in state senate3 Democrats are picked to vie for Giffords' state Senate seatGiffords leaves state Senate in pursuit of Kolbe's House seatGiffords quits state Senate to pursue Kolbe's seat Fight over a Senate seat gets nowhere

Other articles by Enric Volante:

Tucson company charging ahead with battery research Sierra Vista call center expects to hire 300New Downtown art to serve as welcome guideposts for visitorsWhen animal meets airplaneMackey dealership gets GM axTucson sees 52.5 percent airfare boost since 1995Tucson Airport Authority getting noise-study updateO'odham mega-casino nearer to being builtTohono O'odham move major step closer to building mega-casinoNew ads: Fly from Tucson

Administrative & Professional
Jorgensen Brooks Group
Counselor Mechanical
Komatsu Equipment Co
Resident Field Mechanic Administrative & Professional
Tucson Urban League
CEO/President Finance and Accounting
Charles E. Gillman Company
Accounting Specialist Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION Sales and Marketing
Everready Glass
Sales Reps

At least eight Democrats want to be named to the Arizona Senate seat given up by Gabrielle Giffords, a party official said.

Giffords resigned her District 28 seat on Dec. 1 to run for Congress. She's aiming for the seat of Rep. Jim Kolbe, an Arizona Republican who plans to retire next year.

The district precinct committee is to meet tonight to choose three nominees for the state Senate seat. The three names will go to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, which will choose one name to forward to the Senate.

District 28 Chairman Ward Wallingford said the eight who contacted him seeking the nomination include the district's two state representatives, David Bradley and Ted Downing, both Democrats. If one gets the appointment, the selection process would begin again to fill a House seat.

Also seeking the nomination are Leslie Nixon, a former chief aide to Supervisor Sharon Bronson; Steve Farley, the mass-transit advocate who lost to Nina Trasoff in September's City Council primary election; Ted Prezelski, the brother of Rep. Tom Prezelski of Tucson; real estate businessman Paul Lindsey; and loan officer Charlie Morriss. Also, Tim Sultan, a former aide to Gov. Janet Napolitano who had been expected to run for Kolbe's seat in 2006, reconsidered and asked to be named to the state Senate.

The main reason for the switch is "we've got good candidates already in the congressional race," said Sultan, who lost the primary in Kolbe's District 8 to Eva Bacal.

Others could be nominated at tonight's meeting, at which 96 precinct committee members are eligible to vote. Many people have voiced support for seating a woman, said Pima County Democratic Chairman Paul Eckerstrom.