Rumors are rampant about who

is jockeying for what position as the Georgia Legislature prepares to

redraw both state and federal district lines this year.

Two new congressional seats

will be up for grabs, and the borders of every state Senate and state

House district will be redrawn as a result of population shifts identified

in the 2000 Census.

Among the rumors are that:

F U.S. Rep. Mac Collins will

vacate his 3rd District congressional seat in favor of a bid for Max Cleland's

place in the U.S. Senate;

F State Sen. Greg Hecht is

hoping a new congressional district will be to his liking so he can run

for that post;

F State Rep. Kathy Cox of Peachtree

City will drop out of the House and run for state commissioner of education.

Cox admitted she considered

seeking the higher office, but told The Citizen this week she has definitely

decided not to (see related story).

Collins press aide Doug Graham

said a run for Cleland's Senate seat is definitely on Collins' radar screen.

"He's been on the record as saying that he is looking at it,"

said Graham.

But the results of redistricting

won't have any big effect on that, he said. "I know there are rumors

of people's districts becoming untenable," said Graham, "but

that doesn't seem to be the case with Mac. His support is pretty broad

throughout the district. He works hard and represents his constituents

well."

Collins will look at all the

options before deciding whether to run for reelection or seek other office

between now and election year, Graham said.

Hecht, who represents north

Fayette along with portions of three other counties, is on the state Senate

committee that is working to develop a new map of Senate districts.

"Nobody is going to know

what the congressional districts are going to look like until after reapportionment,"

said Hecht, adding that he won't rule out running for a seat in Congress

if he ends up living within a new district.

"I have not closed any

doors, and I have not jumped through any either," he said.

Many members of the state House

and Senate are concerned that after reapportionment they will find their

districts changed so much that reelection becomes an uphill battle. For

instance, a formerly Democratic stronghold might be flooded with Republicans,

making the Democratic office holder less likely to be reelected, or vice

versa. Or in some cases, two or more veteran members of the Legislature

may find themselves in the same district, a much tougher reelection prospect

than facing a newcomer.

Whether that's going to be

the case won't be known until the full Legislature convenes to take up

reapportionment in August, Hecht predicted.

"When we get to August,

that is when you'll figure it out," he said. His committee is looking

at numerous maps, he said. "Everybody's got a different agenda. It

is unbelievable," he added.

And when the full body gets

together, the committee's work will probably be thrown out the window

anyway, he added.

"There are no hard and

fast rules," he said.

He promised to oppose the rumored

division of Fayette among three congressional districts, and predicted

the county will probably remain divided between two state senators. "That

helps at the Senate, having two votes instead of one," he said.

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