SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- At least two candidates have formally announced their plans to run for Georgia's 6th Congressional District seat.

Ron Slotin and Josh McLaurin, both Democrats, this week have revealed their aspirations for elected office at the national level. The seat is expected to become vacant when Congress approves President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Dr. Tom Price to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

The 6th Congressional District covers Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Johns Creek, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville and East Cobb. Ron Slotin, left, and Josh McLaurin. Credits: Ron Slotin and Josh McLaurin Slotin, a former Georgia state senator who lives in Sandy Springs, said he's running to "improve the quality of life for people living in the district."

"On the national front, we need a progressive voice in Washington who will fight to protect the progress we have made on many issues, including a woman's right to choose, affordable healthcare coverage including covering pre-existing conditions, protection of Social Security and care for our growing number of senior citizens and marriage equality," he said. On his Facebook page, McLaurin said he is running to restore the America he once knew: where a person can set aside his or her's political affiliations and share "faith and community."

"My whole childhood – from wooded retreats in Georgia to July 4th fireworks with my mother's family in Kentucky – was rich with experiences where a person's political party mattered much less than his or her character," he said. "That is the America I want back. An America for everyone, where we celebrate difference with a light heart and open arms rather than cynical mistrust and hatred."

Slotin served two terms in the Georgia State Senate from 1992 to 1996. He currently is employed as the chief marketing officer for BrightWell Talent Solutions. McLaurn is a Marietta native who practices law.