The field of candidates angling to replace former state Sen. Jack Hart is expected to form this week. Sources told the Reporter on Sunday night that state Reps. Linda Dorcena Forry and Nick Collins are jumping into the race.

Rep. Forry is a Dorchester Democrat and Collins, also a Democrat, hails from South Boston. Rep. Forry is married to Reporter managing editor Bill Forry.

In a release announcing her candidacy on Monday morning, Rep. Forry said, "I have a range of life experiences that will inform my work in the Senate." The lawmaker is the daughter of Haitian immigrants.

Collins released his own statement several hours later, saying he had received encouragement to run from colleagues and business leaders. "I am honored and humbled by this support and I want you to know that I will be a candidate for the First Suffolk District Senate seat and will be making my formal announcement in the coming days," he said.

State Rep. Marty Walsh, a Dorchester Democrat, said he will not be running in the special election. "I'm in a very good place here in the House of Representatives," he said. "At this point, the seat is not the right one."

Walsh said he was staying neutral in the special election, since both Collins and Forry are "friends of mine."

Sen. Hart, after serving in the upper chamber for 11 years, resigned from the Senate last week to take a job at the Nelson Mullins law firm.

Election dates have not yet been formally set, though Hart said last week lawmakers were seeking to align the special election's dates with the election to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy. In that election, the primary is April 30 and the general is June 25.

This post was updated at 12:28 p.m. with Rep. Walsh's comments. Further update at 1:33 p.m. with Rep. Collins' statement.