Businessmen Vern Buchanan and Tramm Hudson are leading Republican candidates to replace Katherine Harris as the party's nominee for the 13th District congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. And since the district - which covers Sarasota, Hardee and DeSoto counties and parts of Manatee and Charlotte counties - is Republican-heavy, the winner of the Sept. 5 primary is considered a likely favorite to take the general election in November.
