Governor Sonny Perdue has set April 27th as the date for a special election to fill the seat of U.S. Congressman Nathan Deal.

The Georgia representative resigned from Congress Sunday after casting his vote against the overhaul of health care. He’s leaving to pursue the Republican nomination for governor in Georgia.

Candidates wishing to seek the north Georgia 9th congressional district seat must qualify March 29-31.

Deal - who'd been facing a pair of congressional ethics inquiries while in the House - had initially planned to step down March 8. He pushed the date back to vote against the Democratic-backed health care bill Sunday night.

Deal is one of seven Republicans running to replace Perdue, who is barred by term limits from running again.

Tags: Georgia, Nathan Deal, Governor Sonny Perdue, special election, 9th congressional district