Four candidates are seeking Dan Blue's old House seat.

The Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, a civil rights group, will hold a candidate forum with the Wake African American Caucus on Saturday to recommend a replacement for Blue, who moved to the Senate last month.

The announced candidates are:

* Bernard Allen II, 44, N.C. State Employees Association and son of former legislator

* Abeni El-Amin, 32, chairwoman of the Raleigh Human Relations Commission

* Rosa Gill, 65, chair of the Wake County school board

* Paul Terrell III, 42, manufacturing maintenance technician, Durham Cree Lighting

RWCA President Daniel Coleman said it was  "a younger pool of candidates" than the previous time, when Blue was chosen to replace Rep. Bernard Allen.

After the forum, the RWCA will make a recommendation to the Wake County Democratic Party, which will name Blue's replacement on June 11. 

Two candidates have announced for an open House seat.

Bernard Allen II, son of a former state legislator, and Wake County school board member Rosa Gill are running for the District 33 seat.

The seat was formerly held by former Speaker Dan Blue, who resigned on May 19 when he was appointed to the state Senate.

Blue had held the House seat for years until he ran an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate in 2002. He was replaced by Bernard Allen, who died in 2006. Blue was then appointed back to his old seat.

Allen and Gill will speak at a forum on June 6 sponsored by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, a civil rights group. Other candidates will likely announce before that forum.

The RWCA will vote on its recommendation, which will likely be followed by the local Democratic Party. Gov. Beverly Perdue will then appoint the winner. 

State Rep. Dan Blue is moving to the Senate — but not yet.

The Raleigh Democrat received 52 of the 84 votes on the first ballot by the Wake County Democratic Party leadership to fill the seat of former Sen. Vernon Malone.

By law, Gov. Beverly Perdue must follow the group's wishes and appoint Blue, a former House speaker who recently returned to the legislature. The term runs through 2010.

But Blue said he did not want to go until he had finished some work in the House.

He defeated Bernard Allen II, son of a former state legislator, and J. Mills Holloway Jr.

The executive committee of the Wake Democrats will soon have to decide on a replacement for Blue in the House. (N&O)

Bernard Allen II is running a political campaign in miniature.

The son of a former state representative, Allen has campaigned for the seat held by Sen. Vernon Malone for the past two weeks.

He's created a profile and a group on Facebook, set up a campaign Web site, posted a video on YouTube, designed a logo, made calls, talked with voters in person and sent mailers.

His target is not the registered voters of Senate District 14, however, it's the 84 precinct chairs and party leaders from the Wake County Democratic Party.

Under state law, Allen does not have to register as a political committee for the nominating process and can't accept donations. He said he's spent a few hundred dollars of his own money on the campaign.

"Once I am successful here, then I will be starting a campaign and registering with the Board of Elections," he said.

Previously: Rep. Dan Blue wins straw poll.

A straw poll recommended Rep. Dan Blue move to the Senate.

About 50 people at a forum sponsored by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association Saturday cast an unofficial vote on who should fill former Sen. Vernon Malone's seat.

The candidates were Blue, Bernard Allen Jr., former educator Carol Dalenko Bennett, Pfizer lobbyist Marlowe Foster, Wake school board member Rosa Gill, media consultant J. Mills Holloway, former DMV director Alexander Killens and St. Augustine's College provost Kim Luckes.

RWCA president Dan Coleman said that Blue won the straw poll by a significant margin, followed by Holloway.

The group's political action committee will meet tonight to take a formal vote. The result will then be forwarded to the Wake County Democratic Party, which will make a final nomination for Gov. Beverly Perdue.

"The Wake County Democratic Party is not necessarily beholden to that endorsement," said Coleman.

Results of the straw poll after the jump.

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Nine people are running for former Sen. Vernon Malone's seat.

N&O education reporter Keung Hui forwarded this list of candidates who will speak at the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association meeting this weekend:

Rosa Gill, 64, chairwoman of Wake County School Board

Marlowe Foster, 38, lobbyist for Pfizer Corporation, ran unsuccessfully for Winston-Salem City Council in 2002.

Alexander Killens, 54, former director of N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles

Bernard Allen Jr., 44, son of former North Carolina representative

Dan Blue, 59, state representative, former speaker

Jay Holloway, Jr., 47, director of Learning Ventures, UNC Public Television

Kim Luckes, 52, executive vice president of St. Augustine's College

Carol Dalenko Bennett, 66, real estate broker, ran against Malone in 2008

Bruce Lightner, 61, president of Lightner Funeral Home

A former UNC-TV executive is interested in state Sen. Vernon Malone's seat.

Jay Holloway, who worked for the public television channel for nearly 14 years, announced recently that he is seeking the nomination of the Wake County Democratic Party for the seat left empty by Malone's recent death.

Holloway said he would announce a five-point plan to improve education and bring green jobs to the Triangle area.

"We must be innovative in offering real-life solutions to the everyday kitchen table discussions of the residents of District 14," he said in a statement.

Wake County school board member Rosa Gill, Pfizer lobbyist Marlowe W. Foster, and the son of former state Rep. Bernard Allen are also seeking the nomination.

The Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association will make a recommendation to the Wake County Democratic Party, which will name Malone's replacement.

Update: Former DMV director Alexander Killens has also announced he's running for the open seat.

Rosa Gill will also seek former state Sen. Vernon Malone's seat.

The Wake County board of education member said she will be among the candidates speaking at a forum Saturday sponsored by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, Keung Hui reports.

Other announced candidates include Marlowe W. Foster, a lobbyist with Pfizer; and Bernard Allen II, the son of a former state representative.

Other rumored candidates include Alexander Killens, former director of the state's Division of Motor Vehicles; and state Rep. Dan Blue, a former House speaker.

The association will make a recommendation to the Wake County Democratic Party, which will name Malone's replacement on May 6.