Whitehead, left, and May

ST. LOUIS — Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: City Democrats will gather this weekend to pick a nominee to replace a lawmaker who left office after pleading guilty to corruption charges.

This time, party leaders in the 57th House District will nominate a candidate in the Feb. 2 special election to fill the vacancy created by the departure of former State Rep. T.D. El-Amin, who left office in September in the wake of federal bribery charges.

Democratic committee members from seven wards will meet Saturday afternoon at Binions, a lounge on Delmar just east of the Loop, to make the decision.

Because, of course, House districts are smaller than Senate districts, there hasn’t been the intense lobbying to fill the vacancy left by El-Amin as there was following the exit of former state Sen. Jeff Smith, who earlier admitted to federal conspiracy charges.

But, like the replacement for Smith — 28th Ward Committeeman Joe Keaveny – whoever takes El-Amin’s seat will have to file immediately to run again to hold onto the post in 2010.

On Saturday, Democratic committee members are expected to chose from two names: Karla May, who ran for the seat in 2006, and Hope Whitehead, a lawyer who was former director of the state Division of Liquor Control.

The district is reliably Democratic enough that whoever the party picks is all but assured of the seat.