Republicans in the Georgia House of Representatives are expected to meet at the state Capitol today to choose their leaders for the 2010 session.

House leadership has been uncertain since former Speaker Glenn Richardson, R-Hiram, resigned earlier this month. Richardson held the top job in the House for five years, but his admission that he suffered from depression and had attempted suicide, plus published reports of an affair with a lobbyist, pre-empted his resignation.

Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter originally was expected to fill the post, but Burkhalter took his name out of the running three days after Richardson announced his resignation

The uncertainty should end today when Republicans meet in the House chambers at 11 a.m. to select a speaker, a speaker pro tem and a majority whip. The only vote that will be official will be that of majority whip. Choices for speaker and speaker pro tem have to be voted on by the entire House when it reconvenes in January.

However, with Republicans controlling 104 of 180 seats in the House, today’s decision is all but certain to be final.

David Ralston of Blue Ridge, who challenged Richardson earlier this year for the speaker’s post, Larry O’Neal of Bonaire and Bill Hembree of Winston are said to be the top contenders in the speaker race.

Rep. Carl Rogers, who is out of the state on vacation, will not be able to vote. Yet Rogers, who booked his vacation before the caucus scheduled the vote, said he believes Ralston will have the advantage.

Of the three candidates for House Speaker, Rogers said "they’re all friends, but the question I have is, who can lead?"

State Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, said he expects a close race. Both Collins and State Rep. Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson, publicly supported Ralston when he challenged against Richardson. On Monday, Collins said he was "very glad" Ralston had chosen to run again.

But Rogers, R-Gainesville, said he believed House Republicans were rushing the vote to choose new leadership. Initially, they planned to wait until the first of the year to vote.

"My hope is that we pick the person — they pick the person — that can lead us and do a superb job," Rogers said. "My only concern is they may be doing it too quick."

Collins, on the other hand, said he was glad the GOP was moving forward.

"We’ve got a session coming up, we’ve got real business to tend to, and we need a leader who’s going to be firm and steady in that and we need to put that person in place," Collins said.

The only vote that will be official today will be for majority whip. Collins said Rep. John Lunsford of McDonough and Rep. Edward Lindsey of Atlanta are in the running for that position.

"I’m still up in the air on that one," Collins said.

The previous majority whip, Jan Jones, is running for speaker pro tem, along with a "boatload" of others, including Rich Golick, Fran Millar, Clay Cox and Len Walker, Collins said.