Democratic state Sen. Jeff Clemens’ abrupt resignation this past week in a Tallahassee sex scandal has created a windfall for political consultants while potentially leaving Clemens’ former constituents in Palm Beach County without representation through the entire 2018 legislative session.

Clemens’ departure quickly set off a candidate scramble to fill the last three years of his term in a not-yet-scheduled special election. Two Democrats — state Rep. Lori Berman and former state Rep. Irving Slosberg — have announced plans to run. Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein, a Democrat, is also taking "a serious look" at the District 31 seat. And Democratic state Rep. David Silvers is "very interested" in the Senate race, said his consultant, Rick Asnani.

Editorial: Clemens failed test of character and let down many people

Berman’s decision to run for Senate reshapes the 2018 Palm Beach County commission District 2 race, where Berman was the leading fundraiser in a five-candidate Democratic field. With Berman out, at least one otherDemocrat — attorney Dodger Arp of West Palm Beach — says he’s now taking a look at the race.

Berman was scheduled to leave the House in 2018 because of term limits, and two Democrats had opened campaigns to replace her. One of those candidates, Adriana Gonzalez, withdrew on Tuesday. Her political consultant said Gonzalez was preparing to run in an August 2018 primary but wasn’t ready to run sooner in a special House election if Berman resigns to run for Senate.

Clemens’ heavily Democratic District 31 Senate seat runs generally east of Florida’s Turnpike from Lake Worth to Delray Beach. Those residents might not have Senate representation in the upcoming legislative session, which is scheduled for Jan. 9 to March 9.

Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher, in an email this week to the Florida Division of Elections, has suggested a special Jan. 30 primary and special April 10 general election for District 31.

Gov. Rick Scott will have the final say on setting special election dates.

With Democrats holding a 46.6-to-24.1 percent registration advantage over Republicans in District 31, the GOP didn’t even field a candidate in this past year’s general election.

If no Republican, minor-party candidate or write-in candidate runs in the special election, the Democratic primary would fill the seat. Under Bucher’s suggested timetable, District 31 would then have a Democratic senator for the final 39 days of the 2018 session.

But don’t expect Republicans to sit out the special election. In an expected low-turnout race, Palm Beach County GOP Chairman Michael Barnett says, "it’ll be tough but I think we’ll have a shot."

County GOP Vice Chairwoman Tami Donnally, who lost state House races in 2010 and 2012 in Democrat-tilted districts, says she’s considering a run for the District 31 Senate seat.

Even if Republicans don’t win the District 31 seat, the mere presence of a Republican on the special election ballot could mean Democrats have only 15 senators instead of 16 throughout the upcoming session. There are 24 Senate Republicans.

Republicans began 2017 with a 25-15 advantage in the Florida Senate, but Republican Sen. Frank Artiles of Miami resigned in the spring after uttering racial slurs at another senator. Democrats captured that seat when Annette Taddeo won a September special election that reduced the Republican advantage to 24-16.