With Election Day 10 months away, there are no known Democratic candidate seeking to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg.

The same goes for the State House districts that cover Jackson County, where Republicans Earl Poleski and Mike Shirkey now hold the seats.

“Hopefully we’ll hear some names and they’ll be announced shortly,” said Jackson County Democratic Party Chairman Ruben Marquez.

He said he doesn’t know who might run in any of the three races, but said he discussed it recently with Mark Brewer, Michigan Democratic Party state chairman.

John Tramontana, spokesman for the Michigan Democratic Party, said there has been “quite a bit” of interest from possible candidates in the three seats. He would not release any names. “Some people are still deciding whether or not they want to jump in, but we’ve had quite a few with some pretty strong interest in taking on these incumbents.”

Bill Ballenger, editor of the newsletter Inside Michigan Politics, also said he has heard little about possible Democratic candidates seeking Walberg’s 7th District Congressional seat, Poleski’s 64th District State House seat or Shirkey’s seat in the 65th District.

“I honestly haven’t heard of anybody running for those three seats,” Ballenger said. “I think either the party itself hasn’t decided how seriously they want to go after those seats or there aren’t any self-starters out there that very often show interest early on and at least throw their hat in the ring.”

That's a contrast to recent election cycles. Walberg, R-Tipton, defeated U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, in 2010 after announcing his candidacy in July 2009. Schauer had defeated Walberg in 2008 after entering the race in August 2007. Schauer had already raised more than $200,000 by Sept. 30, 2007 — more than 11 months before the general election.

“You’d think somebody would be out there early trying to do something,” Ballenger said.

Under redistricting, Schauer no longer lives in the 7th District and he has announced he has no plans to run for Congress in 2010.

Ballenger said the lack of candidates for the two state House seats is interesting because they have been “battleground seats” that have gone back and forth between Republicans and Democrats in recent years.

Poleski, R-Spring Arbor Township, was talking about running for the state House 12 months before the 2010 election and Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, announced his candidacy in January 2010.

Former Democratic state Rep. Martin Griffin, who lost to Poleski in 2010, recently was elected mayor of Jackson. Democrat Mike Simpson, who held the 65th State House seat before Shirkey, died in 2009.

“I still point out there are almost four months before the filing deadline, so there’s a lot of time for people to come forward before the filing deadline,” Ballenger said.

The Michigan Democratic Party’s Tramontana also said there is plenty of time. “The calendar just turned to 2012,” he said. “It’s still pretty early in the year and in the cycle. We’re not concerned (about the lack of announced candidates).”

No candidates have filed for any of the three seats, said Fred Woodhams, spokesman for the Michigan Department of State. May 15 is the deadline.

Republican Mike Stahly, a former Potterville city councilman, has announced he will seek the Republican nomination for the seat now held by Walberg.