Almost immediately after talking office as state Representative for Delaware County's 162nd Legislative District next month, Republican Nick Miccarelli will head to Iraq with his Pennsylvania National Guard unit, effectively leaving the district without representation in Harrisburg for much of his first two-year term.

Delaware County Democratic leader Cliff Wilson says that's unfair to voters. Though Democrats take pains to make clear that they admire and are grateful for Miccarelli's military service, some, including Wilson, think Miccarelli should step aside.

"I think he should resign," said Wilson, who lives in the district. "If he wants to come back and run for office he can do that. He can't serve and do anything for the people of the district while he's in Iraq."

Wilson said Miccarelli should follow the lead of former state Rep. Paul McHale, who resigned his position representing Bucks County to serve in the first Gulf War and was later elected to Congress. More recently, however, state Rep. Scott Perry (R-York), was told he'll be deployed to Iraq, and he has not signaled any intention to resign.

Miccarelli, who defeated Democrat John DeFrancisco last month and has previously served in Iraq, could not be reached this week to respond directly to Wilson's comments. But in an earlier interview, he told PolitickerPA.com that he regretted his service would interfere with his first term. He has promised that his staff will continue the level of constituent service provided by retiring state Rep. Ron Raymond (R-Delaware), for whom Miccarelli briefly served as chief of staff.

"Obviously the timing's not the best it could be," he said. "But this is something we knew was a possibility, and I think my constituents are very proud."

Eric Epstein, coordinator for the government watchdog group RockTheCapital.org, came to Miccarelli's defense. He said the budget chaos in Harrisburg, among other things, would make Miccarelli's absence little-missed, and that a constituent-service staff would be sufficient until his return.

"As an American I applaud Miccarelli's service to the country," Epstein said. "We've had other members deployed before and the world didn't come to an end. Frankly, I think asking him to step down is opportunistic and misguided."

DeFrancisco could not be reached, but he told The Inquirer last week that he favored either another election or an appointment to the seat.

"I think a loss for a year will definitely hurt this district, with the job scene the way it is, and property taxes," he said.

Wilson, who was a state lawmaker in New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s, said constituent service was not enough.

"There's a lot more to being a state representative that handling constituent service," he said. "Frankly if I had gone away for a year, my [legislative office in New York] would not have functioned.

"We're not going to have 100 percent representation in Harrisburg like we did under Ron Raymond," he added. "The bottom line is, the people have the right to a representative."

Wilson acknowledged that "what I'm saying may not be very politically popular."

How Miccarelli's absence will change the political landscape for 2010 remains an open question. He told PolitickerPA.com he "can't see any reason" why he wouldn't run again. Wilson said that before his deployment, he would have considered Miccarelli "really almost unbeatable" in the conservative district.

"Now I don't know," Wilson said. "I honestly don't know if it makes him stronger or weaker or has no impact. He certainly won't have to run on his record because he won't have a record."

• See also on PolitickerPA.com: Miccarelli to be deployed to Iraq