The Georgia Capitol was abuzz Monday with lawmakers and hopeful lawmakers lined up to qualify to run for office.

All of Georgia’s 14 Congressional representatives, 56 state senators and 180 state representatives will be up for election. A lot of them – and a lot of people who want to replace them – showed up at the Capitol Monday for the first of five days of signups.

An open seat

One person who won’t be dropping by is Republican Congressman Drew Ferguson, who announced he would not be running late last year, opening up a seat in the deeply conservative 3rd District.

Three Republican former state lawmakers signed up to try their hands in Congress Monday. Former state Rep. Philip Singleton and former state Sens. Mike Dugan and Mike Crane will be on the Republican ballot next to retired police officer Jim Bennett.

Singleton said he’s expecting seven Republican candidates to qualify, but he thinks he’s the best man for the job.

“They’re doing a lot on the campaign trail now, and unfortunately I’m the only one that’s ever done it in the legislature,” he said. “So to me it’s about telling the truth to the voters, and then when you get into office and you get elected, you actually have to do the things you said you were going to do. That’s more than a token vote on the topic once every legislative cycle and try to cover your bases.”

Dugan said he thinks voters will find his record superior.

“In the four years that I was majority leader, you look at issues that the state had been talking about for decades that we needed done and never got them done, during those four years, we got them done,” he said. “Whether it be in the military, whether it be in business, whether it be legislative, I’m the only person in this race that has a proven record of actually…