Three candidates entered the District 30 state Senate race Wednesday, the first day for qualifying for the special election to find a replacement for Bill Hamrick, who resigned to accept a judicial seat.

Joining the race Wednesday were state Rep. Bill Hembree, 46, of Winston; James Naughton, 52, a Carrollton business consultant; and former Georgia Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson, 52, of Hiram.

Qualifying will continue through Friday this week at the state Capitol. Qualifying will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday; and from 8 a.m. to noon, Friday, in Room 341, Georgia State Capitol, 214 State Capitol, Atlanta. The qualifying fee is $400.

The special primary will be held Nov. 6 for Republican candidates interested in the District 30 state Senate seat. A runoff election, if needed, will be held on Dec. 4.

Senate District 30 includes portions of Carroll, Douglas and Paulding counties, including the cities of Carrollton, Temple, Villa Rica, Douglasville, Dallas and Hiram.

Those who are not registered to vote and want to vote in the Republican special primary election must register to vote before the close of business on Oct. 9.

Hamrick ran unopposed for re-election to the District 30 state Senate seat in the July 31 Republican primary. No Democratic candidates ran for the seat in the July 31 primary.

“Since no Democrats qualified during the original primary, the law requires that only a special Republican primary be held on Nov. 6,” said Jared Thomas, spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

Thomas said the law also requires that a special election for the District 30 seat be held on Jan. 8, with a runoff election on Feb. 5, if needed.

Qualifying for this special election will also be held this week at the same times as the above Republican special primary, but qualifying will be held in the Elections Division of the Office of the Secretary of State, 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE, Suite 802, Floyd West Tower, Atlanta. The qualifying fee is $400.

“This is for independent candidates who may want to run for the seat,” Thomas said.

The registration deadline for voting in the Jan. 8 special election is close of business on Dec. 10.

Hamrick is filling the Coweta Circuit judicial vacancy created by the resignation of Judge William E. Lee Jr., who resigned May 1. He was chosen by Gov. Nathan Deal from a short list of six candidates named in July.

Hamrick’s swearing-in ceremony for the new judicial position was held at 9 a.m. Monday at the Carroll County Courthouse.