State Sen. Sean Logan, D-Monroeville, is resigning Aug. 24 to accept the newly created position of vice president of community relations for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, effective Sept. 1.

State Sen. Sean Logan, D-Monroeville, is resigning to become vice president of community relations for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, effective Sept. 1.

According to a release, Mr. Logan "will lead the integration of UPMC's community relations programs and be a liaison to the many communities served by UPMC's hospitals and programs."

Mr. Logan had served the 45th district for 10 years.

In a statement released by his office, he cited his work in trying to reform voting on budget bills and in curtailing spending on management and travel at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati, who is also the president pro tem of the Senate, will decide on a date for a special election to fill the remaining two years of Mr. Logan's current four-year term. If Mr. Logan leaves the Senate on Aug. 24 as planned, Mr. Scarnati is expected to schedule the special election for the same date as this year's general election, Nov. 2, in order to avoid the cost of a separate election.

Once the date of the special election is officially announced, the Democratic and Republican parties in Allegheny County will choose their candidates to run for the Senate seat.

Within hours of Mr. Logan's surprise announcement that he was leaving his seat, Mon Valley politicians were already weighing plans to enter the race for the Democratic nomination to replace him.

There was no word on Republican candidates in the heavily Democratic district.

Rep. Marc Gergely, D-White Oak, a former aide to Sen. Logan, said he had already begun the process of forming a campaign committee. Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Dravosburg, said he was considering the race as well. Mr. Kortz mounted a short-lived campaign for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate this year but eventually abandoned the effort to concentrate on his re-election to the state House. Neither he nor Mr. Gergely has any opposition for re-election to their current legislative seats, a factor that would simplify their consideration of the Senate race.

George Matta, the former clerk of courts who now works as director of business development and community relations for the Rivers Casino, said he is also weighing a bid. The former two-term mayor of Duquesne said the news of the open seat left him torn.

"The decision is tough because I enjoy what I'm doing here tremendously," he said. But, he said, "I've always loved public service and I believe it's an honorable profession and good people should get involved."

Another figure that drew immediate speculation was McKeesport Mayor Jim Brewster. Mr. Brewster could not immediately be reached for comment, but Mr. Gergely said, "It's 99 percent certain that he's thinking about getting in."

Mr. Brewster ran for the seat previously, losing to Mr. Logan in the 2000 Democratic primary.

Rich Hrivnak, the mayor of Plum, announced earlier today that he would seek the Democratic nomination, but later in the day he said he had decided against a run at this time.

As the seat will be filled in a special election, in lieu of a primary, the committee members of each party will select the party nominees.

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