Republican leaders in Brooklyn are trying to find another candidate to fill the congressional seat of former Rep. Vito Fossella following the sudden death of Frank Powers, his replacement.

The party has less than 10 days to choose a candidate and secure 1,250 signatures to get his or her name on the ballot. GOP chairman Craig Eaton says possible candidates include Joe Maltese, an acting state Supreme Court justice, Lisa Giovinazzo, a Staten Island reporter, and Paul Antanasio, a retired investment banker from Brooklyn.

The seat has been held by a Republican for nearly 30 years, and political consultants say this vacancy makes way for Democrats to push their own candidate.

Powers, a retired Wall Street executive, died in his sleep Sunday. He had promised to bring hundreds of thousands of his money to his race. He was chosen by the Brooklyn GOP to run for Fossella?s seat after the former congressman said he wouldn?t seek re-election due to a personal scandal.