Alanna Hartzok was sitting at one of the six desks in her home office when she first read that Bud Shuster was going to resign his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives' 9th District — her district.

Hartzok glanced at the file she started earlier marked "My Campaign." The Franklin County woman, a private-practice mental health counselor, planned on running for Shuster's seat in 2002. But when she heard the news of Shuster's resignation, thoughts began running through her head about this year's possibilities.

"It was not on my list of things to do this year," she said. "(The folder) was an intuition here for me down the road. It came down the road sooner than I thought."

By the end of January, Hartzok accepted the Green Party nomination for the congressional district. She switched her voter registration from Republican to the Green Party on the day she announced she was going to run.

Hartzok, along with Democratic candidate and Centre County Commissioner H. Scott Conklin, will be fighting an uphill battle against Bud Shuster's son Bill, a Blair County automobile dealer.

Bill Shuster has a clear advantage in the race despite his lack of political experience, said Suzanna DeBoef, an assistant professor of political science.

"Name recognition means a whole lot in the voting booth," she said. "It's also worth a lot to raise funds necessary to campaign."

The special race for the seat began after the elder Shuster resigned Feb. 3. Bud Shuster held the seat for 28 years, but resigned shortly after being re-elected in November.

There will be a special election May 15, the same day as the Pennsylvania primaries. Potential voters have until April 16 to register to vote.

Despite the special circumstances surrounding the election, it will not be an easy race for any of the candidates.

Conklin won the Democratic nomination, defeating State Representative Jeff Coy of Franklin County and Stacey Brumbaugh of Blair County. The Philipsburg resident said he knows he will have a fight but is up for the challenge.

"It's possible to win this district as a Democrat, but you have to be willing to work," Conklin said.

For Conklin, 42, the biggest challenge may be the strong Republican majority in the 9th Congressional District, said Robert O'Connor, associate professor of political science. The parts of Centre, Clearfield and Perry counties as well as Bedford, Blair, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin and Snyder counties comprise the district.

"There are many more registered Republicans than Democrats, meaning the history of the district is that it votes Republican," O'Connor said. "Theoretically, the Republicans could nominate Saddam Hussein, and Hussein would win. It's a very one-party area."

Perhaps because of this clear Republican advantage, O'Connor added, the Shuster camp has remained silent to calls for debates from Conklin and Hartzok.

Shuster spokesman Kevin Stacey said there have been no definite plans made either way concerning debates.

Conklin said he will visit every area of the 9th District, proposing at least 11 debates. He said he would include Hartzok in any debates that are held.

"I think a candidate should be accessible," Conklin said. "People should be able to make a choice between candidates."

Conklin said he would be visiting Penn State during his campaign but did not have a date available yet. Hartzok said she is planning to visit campus in April. Campus Greens Secretary Paul Eisenstein said the group also is planning events for April.

The Penn State College Democrats are also planning events in support of Conklin's campaign, said Ali Altman, president of the organization..

"Because the 9th District doesn't really cover University Park, we're trying to help out by (doing things like) handing out campaign materials," Altman said.

The Campus Democrats are also trying to connect the Conklin campaign with students at Penn State's Altoona campus, which is in the 9th District, she said.

The Penn State College Republicans, however, have no plans for the election at this time, said Vice Chairman Brendan Holloway.

"Most Republican leadership in Washington has already endorsed (Shuster)," Holloway said.

There is not a lot for the Republicans to do on the local level, because the campaign is so far underway, Holloway said.

"We're pretty confident that he's going to be the heir apparent," Holloway said of Shuster.

For now, all three candidates are focused on getting their message out to voters.

If elected, Conklin said he will focus on education reforms, including smaller class sizes and funding for adults who want to return to college.

"The great equalizer is education," he said. "It doesn't matter who your mother or who your father is, if you have educational opportunities you can become a doctor. If you educate people, you give them hope."

Shuster will focus on education and taxes as they relate to economic growth in the 9th District, Stacey said.

Hartzok wants to focus on tax and economic reform, noting what she said is the increasing divide between the rich and poor. She said in her private practice, she has seen increasing numbers of clients with job-related emotional stress.

"We all work harder and harder and longer and longer for less and less," she said.

For Hartzok, though, this election is part of an ongoing awareness of the Green Party. She said her goal is to receive 10 percent of the votes.

"I'm touching a cord with people that have felt they did not have a voice," she said. "I want this to be a movement, and that won't go away in May regardless of who wins."