With state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, running for governor, the race for her soon-to-be vacant Senate seat is wide open, as seven candidates have thrown their hats in the ring.

The race will have a bit of local flavor, as three of those candidates are from Colleyville.

Although she represents district 10, Davis chose a run for governor over re-election, her term expiring after the general election on Nov. 4. Primary elections for each party are on March 4. Early voting is Feb. 18–Feb. 28.

A runoff election could take place May 27—with early voting May 19 to May 23— should the top candidate not garner more than 50 percent of the vote.

The top two candidates would then run against one another in the runoff.

Konni Burton, Jon Schweitzer and Mark Skinner–all Republicans–are vying for the position, and Burton and Skinner said they haven't forgotten their roots.

"We enjoy where we live," said Burton, a 22-year resident of the city. "It's a bucolic area. The girls [my daughters] are in a good school system. We have deep roots here."

But Burton is not just running to represent Colleyville, she said.

"I'm not focused in one area," she said.

Burton said her main reason for running is that she is worried about the nation.

"We're $17 trillion in debt, and it's not getting better," she said.

As a "principled conservative," Burton said she would work to make Texas "as strong as possible" if elected.

Skinner, a Colleyville resident of 27 years, credits his time on City Council as instrumental in his development as a politician.

Serving from 2003 to 2005 during what he called a tumultuous time for the council, Skinner said he learned about conflict management, overcoming obstacles and dealing with a wide variety of people.

"I always wanted to do something more impactful," he said.

Above all, he said he enjoys Colleyville because of the city's commitment to making living there desirable, with a solid education system and stable property values.

"People move here to live here," Skinner said. "People want to live here because it's a great community."

Leadership, 30 years in the real estate business and his time on City Council makes Skinner the most qualified candidate, he said.

"I encourage everyone to take a close look at the qualifications of each and every candidate. If they do, they will find Mark Skinner is the most qualified," he said.

Schweitzer is a chiropractor and listed among the staff at Texas Health Centers in Fort Worth. He did not return phone messages left at the center seeking comment for this story.