TIFTON — The retirement of a Tift County judge could lead to an open state House of Representatives seat in Colquitt County.

Tift County Chief Superior Court Judge Gary McCorvey announced Thursday that he would not seek reelection to the post. On Friday, state Sen. Joseph Carter, R-Tifton, announced he’d rather run for the judgeship than for reelection to his current post. Two other people announced candidacies for the judgeship Monday, according to The Tifton Gazette.

Meanwhile, according to The Albany Herald, two people have already expressed interest in Carter’s seat: Tifton attorney Rusty Simpson and state Rep. Ed Rynders, R-Albany.

Rynders’ House district stretches from part of Lee County all the way to the Doerun area in northern Colquitt County.

Both Carter and Rynders are the only people who qualified to run for their respective seats, according to The Herald. Matt Carrothers, spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel’s office, told the Albany newspaper that he was still researching how Carter’s seat should be filled, whether by appointment, special election or some other means. Presumably, Rynders’ seat would be filled the same way if he dropped from that race to seek the Senate seat.

Colquitt County already lost one of its three veteran representatives when Richard Royal, R-Camilla, decided in early May not to run for reelection. Former Camilla mayor Jay Powell has qualified to run as a Republican for Royal’s seat; no one else has qualified. Rep. Penny Houston, R-Nashville, is also running without opposition.