COLUMBIA, S.C. - Republicans picking a new House majority leader in two weeks will have to consider the possibility that the speaker's post could be open next session as well.

Many think if President Bush wins a second term, current speaker David Wilkins will get a presidential appointment, leaving open the post he has held for almost 10 years.

That all will be determined Nov. 2 - about a month after the Oct. 5 Republican Caucus election to replace former majority leader Rep. Rick Quinn, R-Columbia, who lost his re-election bid to a primary opponent.

Speculation about Wilkins' future has swirled for four years as reported offers have come and gone. In 2002, Bush appointed Wilkins to the board of visitors to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2002. But Wilkins, a state co-chairman of Bush's 2000 campaign and his state chairman for the re-election bid, reportedly has turned down other offers from the president for full-time jobs.

Legislators say privately that they expect Wilkins won't turn down a full-time appointment if Bush makes an offer in a second term.

For his part, Wilkins continues to extol his love for the office he has held since 1994. "I have no plans. That's all speculation," Wilkins said. "There's no offer on the table and there are no plans. ...

"I'm running for speaker of the House. I hope to be elected speaker of the House on Nov. 30."

Contenders for the majority leader position say talk of Wilkins' departure is speculative. A new majority leader, they say, will define his own role in the House.

"I think you can make the job anything you want it to be," said Rep. Rex Rice of Easley.

Rice, who has served in the House since 1995, faces Rep. Jim Merrill in the Oct. 5 election.

"The job description has expanded dramatically with each successive person," said Merrill, a Daniel Island legislator since 2001.

No matter what happens with Wilkins, the past three Republican majority leaders have set expectations "and we have to live up to that bar," Merrill said.

From committee chairmen to majority leader, "all the jobs would be harder with a new speaker," House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bobby Harrell said.

The Charleston legislator was majority leader from 1997 to 1999. It is "probably the hardest political position I've ... had to try to work in," Harrell said.

A third candidate, Rep. Bill Sandifer of Seneca, said he's continuing to line up votes. "I'm in this race," he said.

Merrill apparently leads in the race. "Jimmy's got close to half the votes," Rice said.

Rice said he and Sandifer have split the Upstate vote. "It's a matter of one of us getting out of the race," Rice said.

"I'm not doing that," Sandifer said.