Sean Logan, the state senator who has represented Monroeville and 37 other eastern communities for the past decade, said the seed for his decision to leave the Legislature sprouted this spring, following his instrumental role in securing death benefits for police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

In marking the legislative victory in the spring, he met the family of state Trooper Paul Richey, 40, who was killed in January after responding to a domestic disturbance in Venango County. The Richeys were the first recipients of the state-backed benefits that provide families the full monthly salary of the fallen officer or firefighter.

Trooper Richey, Mr. Logan noted, had children about the same age as his own.

"There was a hug from the members of that family that was very moving, and very difficult," he said. "To know they are going to be financially OK ... legislatively, what do you want to do after that? It would be curing cancer.

"That's when it hit me. It's time."

On Thursday, Mr. Logan, 40, a Democrat, announced he will leave the Legislature on Aug. 24 to accept a newly created position of vice president of community relations for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. UPMC would not disclose his salary.

"I will deal with each community in our service area and make sure they have a liaison back to the corporate folks," he said. "I want them to know that when they have an issue with UPMC, they know to pick up that phone and say, 'Sean, can I sit down with you? We have this issue.' "

Within hours of Mr. Logan's surprise announcement, a handful of Mon Valley politicians already were weighing plans to enter the race for the Democratic nomination to replace him.

Jim Roddey, the Allegheny County Republican chairman, said that the party wasn't ready to release the names of potential candidates.

Rep. Marc Gergely, D-White Oak, a former aide to Mr. Logan, said he already had a campaign committee. Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Dravosburg, said he was considering the race as well.

George Matta, the former clerk of courts who now works as director of business development and community relations for the Rivers Casino, said he also is weighing a bid.

Braddock Councilwoman Tina Doose said she, too, was "strongly considering" the race.

Mr. Logan was elected to a four-year term in the 2000 general election, then re-elected in 2004 and 2008. He also is vice chairman of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, which gives grants and loans to Pennsylvania college students, and on the board of the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority, but it isn't known yet whether he will resign from those positions.

Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati, who also is the president pro tem of the Senate, will decide on a date for a special election to fill the remaining two years of Mr. Logan's term.

Mr. Logan is the fourth senator to announce he's leaving this year. The other three, also Democrats, are retiring after 30 years in the Senate -- Barry Stout of Washington County, Raphael Musto of Luzerne and Senate Democratic leader Bob Mellow of Lackawanna. Republicans control the Senate by a 30-20 margin.

Mr. Logan's appointment as UPMC community liaison struck a sour note for one local group, Save Our Community Hospitals, which has loudly and repeatedly criticized UPMC's decision to close UPMC Braddock in January. The hospital is in Mr. Logan's district.

"State Sen. Sean Logan, like most of the elected officials in the region, did little or nothing to save Braddock Hospital. In fact, Sen. Logan worked to ensure UPMC's objective of closing and demolishing the hospital," said Tony Buba, chairman of the group's steering committee.

"Now we know why. Mr. Logan has received his '30 pieces of silver' as payoff for his work on UPMC's behalf. Little wonder that he doesn't even mention the Braddock Hospital issue in his press release announcing his new career as vice president for community relations for UPMC. The irony is breathtaking."

However, Braddock Mayor John Fetterman disagreed, saying Mr. Logan is "an honorable and decent man" who in private "was as angry as anybody" at the UPMC closing.

Mr. Logan said UPMC has contributed "probably less than $1,000" to his campaigns over the years. "There was absolutely no quid pro quo. There just wasn't."

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