With Republican Sen. Ted Gatsas likely to resign after being elected Manchester mayor last week, a battle is shaping up over who will take over his state Senate seat.

When he announced in June that he was running for mayor, Gatsas pledged to resign from his Senate post in November if he won. Though Gatsas has not yet submitted a letter of resignation, he is widely expected to leave the state senate with a year left in his term. The district includes the towns of Bow, Candia, Dunbarton and Hooksett and three wards in Manchester.

So far, two Republicans and one Democrat have confirmed they plan to run for the seat, and several other Democrats say they have not yet made up their minds.

On the Republican side, Rep. David Boutin filed as a candidate in May, in anticipation of a possible Gatsas resignation. Boutin, 56, has served for six years in the Legislature. He is a Hooksett town councilor who has served on a variety of local boards. Boutin, who is retired, worked in planning and real estate.

Boutin is campaigning on a platform of "low taxes, low spending and small government." He opposes the increased fees and taxes in this year's budget, including a tax on campsites and an increase in the car registration fee.

Boutin has been actively campaigning, establishing town chairs, preparing a campaign staff of at least two people, raising money and attending events. He released a list of 120 supporters in the Legislature, including House Minority Leader Sherm Packard.

"We have our thumb on the button and as soon as (Gatsas's) announcement is made, we'll be ready to implement our campaign plan," Boutin said.

Opposing Boutin in a Republican primary will be Terry Pfaff. Pfaff, 49, has been a Manchester firefighter since 1982 and worked in Hooksett before that. He lives on a farm in Hooksett, in the house where he was born. He served four terms in the House beginning in 1988 and was vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He has been involved in numerous public roles, including as a member of the Judicial Conduct Committee and as a House liaison to the Fish and Game Department. He previously ran for state Senate in 1998 and 2000.

Pfaff said he believes the budget will be the biggest issue going forward, along with helping small businesses create jobs. He believes more attention must be paid to the rule-making process, since rules have the power of laws but are not made by elected officials.

"I've been a crisis manager for 31 years as a firefighter," Pfaff said. "Now the state needs sound management."

The only confirmed Democratic candidate is Rep. Jeff Goley, 42, a Manchester firefighter. Goley is serving his fifth term in the House and is chairman of the Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee. He is the moderator of a ward in Manchester. He is married with five children and is a graduate of Manchester Central High School. Goley could not be reached yesterday.

At least three other Democrats told the Monitor yesterday that they had not ruled out a run: former state Senate candidate Bob Backus, Rep. Mary Beth Walz and Rep. Jim Craig.

Backus, 70, ran against Gatsas twice for the Senate seat, losing in 2006 and 2008.

"I'll see when it gets a little closer how I feel about it," Backus said. "It depends whether you want to gear up to do all that again, particularly all that fundraising. Do you really have the fire to do it?"

Backus, an attorney, has been active in a group called Keep Manchester Moving, which opposed the city's tax cap. The cap passed in last week's elections. He works with the Conservation Law Foundation and with a Washington, D.C.-based group that opposes nuclear power.

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