State Rep. David Ralston is one of three local and 47 statewide nominees being considered for an upcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court of Georgia.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears is stepping down June 30. She will be replaced by Justice Carol Hunstein.

To fill the vacant seat on the seven-member court, Gov. Sonny Perdue will select from among the lawyers, judges, prosecutors and state lawmakers that have been nominated.

Ralston, who represents a portion of Dawson, as well as Fannin and Gilmer counties, is an attorney from Blue Ridge and has served at the state level since 2003.

“I’ll make some decisions in the next few weeks to see if I want to explore that (Supreme Court nomination) or any other options,” Ralston said Monday.

Dahlonega attorneys Steven Leibel, and Bruce M. Edenfield, are also among the nominees.

Leibel, who also has an office in Dawson County, said while he is honored by the nomination, he had not made a decision as of Monday.

“That’s a big decision. I’ll make the decision by next week. I love being a lawyer and I love practicing law,” he said.

Among nominees from elsewhere in the state are state Inspector General Elizabeth P. Archer; C. Wilson DuBose, chairman of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council; U.S. Attorney David Nahmias; Anne Proffitt Dupre, a University of Georgia law professor; Chief Judge Yvette Miller of the Georgia Court of Appeals; Stephen B. Farrow, a member of the state transportation board; and state Sen. Bill Hamrick, R-Carrollton.

Former state Attorney General Mike Bowers, who chairs the commission, has already declined his nomination.

The state Judicial Nominating Commission had set a Thursday deadline for nominations. The nominees have until June 22 to decide whether to formally apply for the position. The commission plans to hold 20-minute interviews with each applicant on June 29 and 30 before sending a handful of recommendations to Perdue.