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. 

Some Republicans say Rep. Thomas Wright should step down.

Longtime legislative assistant Joel Craig Raupe writes on the N.C. Republican Roundtable that holding a special session of the legislature to expel the Wilmington Democrat will be costly.

All this could be made instantly "moot" saving taxpayers $50,000 or so for the one day Extra Session by one simple action by one individual Member that would make the whole matter disappear until trial in a Wake County courtroom.

Five Wake County Republican candidates for state House are also calling for his Democratic colleagues to pressure him to resign. Duane Cutlip, Bryan Gossage, J.H. Ross, Paul Terrell and Eric Weaver issued a joint statement yesterday.

"For Democrats, this is another PR nightmare," said Gossage, owner of a small public relations firm in a statement. "Of course they want to keep a low profile and bring as little attention to this issue, and their dismal response, as possible."