Changes to Georgia’s Congressional districts means there will be two empty seats to fill on the State Transportation Board next year, including the one representing Northwest Georgia.

“For the 1st and 14th districts, there are openings,” Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Karlene Barron said. “And there will be an election for the 8th District because there are now two board members in that.”

A member from each Congressional district is elected to the STB by the state representatives and senators in the district.

Since Georgia gained a 14th Congressional district following the 2010 census, the 13-member State Transportation Board will be expanded by one seat. Floyd, Gordon, Chattooga, Polk, and eight other counties in the northwest corner of the state make up the new district.

Jeff Lewis of White is the STB member currently representing Floyd, but his Bartow County home is in

the 11th District and he’ll continue in the 11th District seat.

State Rep. Katie Demp­sey, R-Rome, said several people have been lobbying

lawmakers for the 14th District seat, “and they have someone who almost has all the votes.”

She declined to name the

contenders at this point, but said nobody from Floyd County has expressed an interest. A date for the election has not yet been set, she said “but I imagine we’ll want to do it as soon as possible after the session starts.”

The Georgia General Assembly is scheduled to convene its next 40-day session on Jan. 14, 2013.

The newly drawn 1st Congressional District, in the southeast part of the state, also will be without a State Transportation Board member because Jay Shaw is now in the eighth district with Jim Cole. The two will have to vie for the seat.

Board members serve five-year terms.

A number of other state boards whose memberships are structured around Congressional districts also will be affected. Most of those boards are appointed by the governor.

Locally, Willis Potts of Rome represents the 11th District on the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Although Rome will shift to the 14th District, Potts’ term ends in December.

The seat, however, will likely be taken by James R. Jolly, the 9th District member, whose Dalton home will be part of the 14th District when the changes take effect in January.

On the Georgia School Board, Dr. J. Grant Lewis of Rome is expected to move to the 14th District seat from the 11th District seat. Likewise for State Board of Technical and Adult Education member Otis Raybon of Rome.