Aide will step in for now; after that, who knows?

Even before the shock and grief over King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng's death have begun to subside, political and legal insiders are quietly speculating about who will succeed him.

Out of respect for the powerful and widely admired Maleng, few were ready to speak for publication Friday about who could replace him. But the silence can't last long: Deadlines are rapidly approaching that mean potential candidates have to step forward soon.

The King County Council on Tuesday will select one of Maleng's assistants to assume his office on an interim basis while the county Republican Party submits three nominees to the council for a longer-term successor.

Voters will decide in November who will serve the remainder of Maleng's term, which expires in December 2010. Maleng, 68, died Thursday night after collapsing at a Nordic heritage event at the University of Washington.

Maleng, a Republican, was first elected prosecutor in 1978, and earned the nickname of "prosecutor for life." The Democratic Party couldn't find a qualified candidate willing to run against him in 2006.

Friday morning, the entire staff of Maleng's office gathered in the largest courtroom in the King County Courthouse to grieve and remember.

"The room was completely full to talk about Norm and how we are all just devastated," said Dan Donohoe, who was Maleng's spokesman for more than two decades. Donohoe said former deputy prosecutors and other well-wishers streamed in and out of the office all day with flowers and condolences.

No plans for a funeral or memorial service have been made yet, said Seattle attorney Mike McKay, a close friend of Maleng's who has been working with Maleng's widow, Judy, on possible options. He said a decision will be made in the next several days.

Maleng's death came just 11 days before the start of filing week for candidates, creating a tight deadline for candidates and political parties.

County Council Chairman Larry Gossett, D-Seattle, said the state constitution and the Revised Code of Washington lay out a three-step process for selecting what he called "the next people's lawyer."

First, the council will appoint one of Maleng's deputies or assistants to run the prosecutor's office for now.

Second, Republican elected officials and precinct committee officers will provide three candidates for prosecuting attorney. The County Council has 60 days from the date of Maleng's death to choose one of the three.

Third, the office will be on the fall ballot.

Initial jockeying for the Republican and Democratic nominations could be intense because candidates must file during the week of June 4-8.

Meantime, Gossett said potential candidates for the immediate interim appointment include Maleng's chief of staff, Dan Satterberg; the deputy chief of staff, Bonnie Glenn; the civil-division chief, Sally Bagshaw; and the criminal-division chief, Mark Larson.

Some in county legal circles say Satterberg, also a Republican, could also be a possible nominee as permanent replacement for his former boss.

But other legal and political sources say Reagan Dunn, a Republican member of the County Council and the son of former U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn, could emerge as an appealing front-runner to Republicans.

He is a former federal prosecutor in Seattle who has also worked for the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C.

Another possibility is Mike McKay, who served as the U.S. attorney for Western Washington from 1989 to 1993. Several people close to him said he has long been interested in the position, and would carry on Maleng's legacy.

Mike McKay is the older brother of John McKay, who served as U.S. attorney for Western Washington until he was asked to resign late last year by the Justice Department as part of the controversial removal of several U.S. attorneys nationwide.

John McKay was recently hired by Seattle digital-image company Getty Images to serve as its general counsel, and is not believed to be interested in the King County position.

Still, some in the legal community Friday said there could be an effort to persuade him to enter the race.

Some Republicans have also suggested attorney Mike Vaska, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Republican nomination for state attorney general.

Among Democrats, Seattle attorney Jenny Durkan, a prominent and well-connected Democrat, was perhaps the name most frequently mentioned Friday.

Durkan was a lead attorney for the Democrats in defeating a Republican Party challenge of Democrat Christine Gregoire's 129-vote victory over Republican Dino Rossi in the 2004 governor's election.

Still, other Democrats have come up, among them former state senator and Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge, County Council members Dow Constantine and Bob Ferguson, former Seattle city attorney Mark Sidran, and former Superior Court judges Terrence Carroll and George Finkle.

Talmadge ran for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2004, but fell far behind front-runners Gregoire and Ron Sims, then dropped out of the race because of health problems.

County Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Sheary said party members have just begun to think about possible candidates.

"I imagine everybody's head is full of ideas," she said.

None of the potential candidates was willing to talk about his or her interest in the job on Friday, so soon after Maleng's death.

And County Republican Chairman Mike Young said it was premature to talk about possible successors.

"I think we need to have the [memorial] service and then talk about politics," he said.

Young said the party's 900-member central committee will meet on a Saturday between June 16 and 30 to decide on the three names to submit to the County Council.

But Young also questioned whether it is legally possible to put the position up for a vote in November, because the candidate-filing deadline will come before the County Council appoints the Republican to serve until the November election.

But others involved in the County Council and the Democratic Party said the law clearly calls for a vote in November.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com.