ST. LOUIS – The 10 applicants to be the Democratic nominee for a southern Illinois congressional seat are eligible to be interviewed publicly by a selection committee this weekend, the co-chairwoman of that panel said Tuesday without revealing the names of those vying for the job.

With 10 hopefuls submitting the required questionnaires by last Friday's deadline, it will be a crowded field of Democrats looking to take Brad Harriman's place on the November ballot. Harriman abruptly abandoned his bid for the 12th District seat, citing previously undisclosed medical reasons.

The time frame for the vetting process was lined out during a private teleconference Monday night with the selection panel made up of the district's county Democratic heads, who have a weighted say based on how many Democratic votes were cast in the March primary election in their counties.