In case you missed it: Sally Clark quit the Seattle City Council last week to go to work for the University of Washington. By the end of this month, the council has to pick her replacement out of the 44 applicants who submitted their resumes to the city clerk by last night.43 of those contestants are going home empty-handed after councilmembers appoint a new colleague on Monday, April 27, but one fortunate soul among them shall seize the reins of legislative power through the end of this year. Here, in my humble estimation, are the candidates most likely to emerge victorious:Jan Drago. The former city council president, King County councilmember, mayoral candidate, and ice cream peddler has the kind of insider resume that fits Tim Burgess’ criterion of a “caretaker.”Sharon Lee. Rather than brown-nosing, the Low Income Housing Institute director used her application to highlight some of the problems she sees in the city government (like a stingy Human Services Department). A housing wonk with guts, she might be just the kick-in-the-pants the council needs.David Mosely. A member of the Mayor’s Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory (HALA!) committee, he has plenty of administrative experience and presumably knows his way around housing policy, though his mixed tenure as the Washington Department of Transportation ferry tzar might not result in the kind of boat-rocking Seattle progressives want to see.John Okamoto. The former Port of Seattle administrator has a long resume with lots of relevant experience, though he was unable to reinvent the Human Services Department during his short tenure as its interim director last year.Peter Steinbrueck. Another city council alum and former mayoral candidate, Steibreuck has a background as an urbanist policy wonk and architect, which could come in handy as the Council considers how to manage Seattle’s explosive growth.Heidi Wills. Yet another council alum, the executive director of The First Tee (a golf-for-kids group) left the council in 2003 after the “Strippergate” scandal.Howard Wright. Hospitality magnate Howard Wright (not to be confused with the architecture firm of the same name) was a key representative of business in the $15 minimum wage deal last year.David Yeaworth. The former aide to Sally Clark and Richard Conlin has most recently been working on developing Pioneer Square.