Report: Mid-May special for Deal's seat

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) will likely schedule a mid-May special election to fill the remainder of Rep. Nathan Deal's (R-Ga.) term, according to an analysis by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jim Galloway.

Some observers had speculated the governor would schedule a non-partisan special for July 20, the same day as the state's primary. But Galloway notes that because a runoff is likely, a May special election avoids a more "confusing calendar."

Deal announced last Monday he was leaving Congress to focus on his gubernatorial bid. He subsequently decided to stay on until after the healthcare vote.

In an email, a Perdue spokesman didn't dispute Galloway's theorizing but declined to nail down a date for the special election. "We will announce the date when the seat is actually vacant," said Bert Brantley, Perdue's communications director. "It would be terribly premature to do so before then."