State-election officials are exploring the option of a special election that would be run in the old 1st Congressional District this fall for the right to represent the district for the final month of the term of Rep. Jay Inslee, who is resigning March 20 to launch a full-time bid for governor, according to a press release from David Ammons, communications director of the Office of Secretary of State.

Katie Blinn, state elections co-director, said U.S. House officials say that an interim member would need to be elected by the same voters who elected Inslee to his two-year term. The winner could take office after the election is certified on Dec. 6. Meanwhile, voters in the newly redrawn 1st District would be choosing the winner of the full term. The list of candidates, currently six Democrats, one Republican and an independent, could be the same for both the short term and the long term.

The other option would be to simply run the election for the full new term in the new 1st District, with the winner taking office Jan. 3.

Secretary of State Sam Reed has made no decisions, and the office is consulting with the governor’s legal counsel and others. A decision is expected this week.