Interviews scheduled for Saturday aim to manage the significant local Republican interest in running to replace Brian Ellis, who resigned from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Monday.

The Republican and Democratic nominees to replace Ellis will be selected not by voters, but by party committee members within the 11th district. The district's voters will decide between the candidates nominated by each party in the May 21 special election.

Butler Democrats released this week the names of three people interested in the House seat, although party leaders said more may still join. Those three include Sam Doctor, 28, of Butler; Chris Kubiak, 42, of Butler; and Dave Zarnick, of Butler Township. Doctor is a crane operator for AK Steel. Kubiak is the education director for the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. Zarnick is a commissioner for Butler Township.

Republicans, on the other hand, appear to have a mounting contest behind the scenes to replace their former colleague Ellis, who resigned amid rape allegations, but represented a district that has voted consistently Republican for several years.

Multiple Republicans vying for the votes of their party's 34 committee members confirmed to the Eagle on Friday that anywhere from six to 10 viable candidates were interested in the seat.

Trish Lindsay, the party's co-vice chairwoman, confirmed that several people were interested, but declined to release a full list.

The party's eight-member executive committee scheduled Saturday interviews with interested candidates. Documents related to the interviews that were obtained by the Eagle show that members are also meeting with Brian Rengert, director of the House Republican campaign committee.

Some Republican candidates made their bids public, but others confirmed that they are running only privately, and said they don't want to be named publicly before the committee gives the OK. Others still were unknown.

Without a complete list, the Eagle opted not to publish a list of Republicans hoping to be considered.

Both parties reported planning to convene their committees for meetings and selecting a candidate within the next week.