The chairman of the Marion County Republican party said Thursday that he would be “ecstatic” if Mark Massa, the attorney for Gov. Mitch Daniels, ran for county prosecutor.

The party is without a candidate after Helen Marchal, the chief adviser to current prosecutor Carl Brizzi, withdrew her candidacy on Tuesday. Brizzi announced Jan. 14 that he would not seek a third term.

Massa told IBJ on Thursday that he is “considering” running and said he would need to make a decision soon. The party’s Central Committee will meet Feb. 13 to slate party candidates for the fall ballot.

“Of the [Republican] candidates I know of right now, he’s far and away the most qualified,” said party Chairman Tom John, who already knew of Massa's interest in the position. “But obviously, he’s extremely important to the governor.”

Massa served as a deputy prosecutor under former Marion County prosecutors Steve Goldsmith and Jeff Modisett and for eight years was former prosecutor Scott Newman’s chief counsel. He left the U.S. Attorney’s office as a federal prosecutor in January 2006 to become Daniels’ general counsel.

John said at least a dozen prospects, ranging from judges to defense lawyers, have expressed interest in running as the Republican party’s candidate for county prosecutor.

“But I don’t know how serious they are, quite frankly,” he said.

Democrats have three active candidates vying for the position: County Assessor Greg Bowes; former State Rep. David Orentlicher; and Indianapolis attorney Terry Curry.