Jeff M. Bourne appeared to be on a glide path to win the Tuesday, Feb. 7, special election for the Richmond seat in the House of Delegates that became vacant when Jennifer L. McClellan won a special election and moved up to the state Senate earlier this month.

Mr. Bourne, a Richmond School Board member and deputy attorney general, secured the crucial Democratic nomination last Friday. Already, he has sent two mailers to alert voters in the 71st House District to his candidacy.

However, his path to victory just got a little bumpy.

Two more candidates — both considered long-shots — jumped into the race with hopes of beating Mr. Bourne, who said he would give up his 3rd District School Board seat and his state legal post if he wins.

The new candidates are: John Barclay, a Libertarian Party member and eighth-grade math and science teacher at Richmond’s Franklin Military Academy, and Regie Ford, a mortgage consultant with SunTrust Mortgage, according to the state Board of Elections.

Mr. Barclay, a Church Hill resident, stated on his Facebook page that his decision to run is “a manifestation of both my love for the city and the state.”

Mr. Ford, a former president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters who resigned last summer to avoid being removed by members, initially sought to challenge Mr. Bourne for the Democratic nomination.

However, he decided to run as an independent after he missed last week’s deadline to submit his paperwork and $1,500 filing fee for the Democratic Party nomination. His submission was rejected when it was filed 45 minutes late.

The deadline to file as an independent candidate was Tuesday, Jan. 24.

The winner of the special election is expected to take the seat by Friday, Feb. 10, or sooner, early enough to cast votes in the House of Delegates before the General Assembly’s scheduled adjournment on Saturday, Feb. 25.

The House district includes 25 precincts primarily in the North Side and East End of Richmond, with a few precincts in Henrico County.

Richmond Voter Registrar Kirk Showalter, who had raised concerns earlier about a lack of funds to cover the special elections, said she will be able to cover the cost of the Feb. 7 balloting using about $80,000 from funds she had earmarked to cover the cost of the June party primary elections in the races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

She said she might have to use an additional $30,000 of those funds if Mr. Bourne should win and the Richmond School Board decides to hold a special election to fill his seat rather than appoint someone until the next election in November.

She said she is in talks with the city administration about replacing the money ahead of the June primaries.