JOHNSTOWN — The Democratic and Republican parties in the 12th Congressional District are poised to choose their nominees for the special election to fill the unexpired term of the late U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown.

The state Democratic Party’s 50-member executive committee will make the party’s final decision, but 100 Democratic delegates from the nine counties in the district will gather Saturday morning in Delmont, Westmoreland County, to vote on a recommendation.

Although it’s a nonbinding recommendation, it is designed to give the party’s faithful an opportunity to voice their opinion to the state committee.

The executive committee will select the nominee Monday in a vote either by voice via phone or by e-mail, Jack Hanna, chairman of the Southwest Democratic Caucus, said Monday.

Under party rules, Gov. Ed Rendell and the state’s Democratic Congressional Committee also may provide input, Hanna said.

“The idea is for the executive committee to be exposed to as much information as possible about the candidates,” Hanna said.

The Democrats’ selection will come just days before Republicans from the 12th district make their choice.

They will meet March 11 at St. Vincent College in Latrobe to choose their party’s nominee for the special election. A total of 134 conferees will be eligible to vote.

The special election will be held on May 18, the same day as the primary election when voters also will nominate party candidates for the November election when the full two-year term for congressman from the 12th District will be filled. Murtha, who was up for re-election this year, died Feb. 8 of complications from gallbladder surgery.

Four Democrats are in the running for the special election nomination: Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr. of West Taylor Township; Mark Critz of Johnstown, who resigned last week from Murtha’s staff to run for the seat; Barbara Hafer of Indiana, a former state treasurer and state auditor; and Navy veteran Ryan Bucchianeri of Monongahela, Allegheny County.

Texas Attorney Ron Mackell Jr., a former Johnstowner, announced that while he will run for the Democratic nomination in the primary, he will not seek the special election nomination.

Meanwhile, three other contenders for the Democratic nomination have dropped out of the race: Westmoreland County Commissioner Tom Ceraso, former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel and former Cambria County Controller Albert Penksa. Singel and Penksa have joined Joyce Murtha in supporting Critz for her husband’s seat while Ceraso is supporting Cernic.

Two Republicans want their party’s nomination both in the special election and the primary election. They are Eighty Four businessman Tim Burns, who is a former Johnstown resident, and retired Army Lt. Col. William Russell of Johnstown, who was the GOP nominee in 2008.

In addition, Bill Choby of Johnstown, who three times made unsuccessful attempts to unseat Murtha, announced Monday that he will be a candidate for the GOP nomination for the special election only.

Choby said that he would not run in the regular primary to “minimize ballot confusion and give the voters a clear and simple choice.”

At Saturday’s Democratic meeting at the Lamplighter Restaurant in Delmont, Cambria will have 19 delegates and Somerset County, five, based on Democratic voters in the 12th district within each county.

The largest delegation will be from Westmoreland County, with 24, followed by Washington, 18; Fayette, 17; Greene and Armstrong, six each; Indiana, four; and Allegheny, one.

Cambria will send Helen Whiteford, county Democratic chairwoman, and Cambria County residents who serve on the state Democratic Committee: State Rep. Frank Burns; Cambria Treasurer Barb Kline, Cambria Prothonotary Patty Berkebile and Clerk of Courts Susan Kuhar.

In addition, Whiteford will select the other 13 members from among the county’s elected Democratic Committee members who live in the 12th district.

A decision had not been made Monday on whether the delegation will meet prior to Saturday’s meeting, Whiteford said.

In Somerset County, Democratic Chairman John Vatuvuk will be joined by state Democratic Committee members Robert Will and Donna Schmidt as delegates.

As of Monday, he had not yet named the other two-at-large members.

The Democratic candidates have been invited to meet with Somerset delegation at 6 p.m. today at the Coal Miners Cafe in Jennerstown. The delegation is expected to vote on a recommendation, Vatuvuk said. The party chairman said that he supports Critz.

At the Republican gathering, Cambria will have 26 delegates, and Somerset, eight. Westmorland will send 38 delegates; Washington, 20; Fayette, 19; Greene, 8; Armstrong, 10; Indiana, four; and Allegheny, one.

The representation is based on the votes cast for GOP presidential candidate John McCain in 2008, a party spokesman said.

County party bylaws outline how the delegates will be selected.