HOUSTON -- District attorney Chuck Rosenthal is considering putting his name back on the ballot, but he may not have ever actually taken it off, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.

Rosenthal sent the Harris County Republican Party a withdrawal letter on Wednesday after a scandal over intimate e-mails he sent to his secretary about their love affair. The deadline for Republicans to put their name on the ballot was automatically extended through Friday because Rosenthal withdrew just before the original deadline.

Former prosecutor Jim Leitner filed before Wednesday's initial deadline. Prosecutor Kelly Siegler filed on Thursday but may be knocked off because of potential problems with Rosenthal's withdrawal letter.

Allen Blakemore, Rosenthal's campaign consultant, said Rosenthal has had a change of heart. Rosenthal made a deal with the Harris County Republican Party that if he withdrew his name, two assistant district attorneys would take his place on the ballot, he said. Neither one has filed.

"Chuck has great confidence in Denise Bradley and Marc Brown, but he is concerned that neither has filed yet. He has the option to re-enter the race and he's keeping that option open," Blakemore wrote in a statement. "He still wants to see a well-qualified candidate present themselves. He is not going to let that office go to an unqualified candidate."

Rosenthal's withdrawal letter was one sentence long.

"This is my written notice to you to withdraw my nomination from the office of Harris County District Attorney," Rosenthal wrote.

Attorney Troy McKinney said there are two things wrong with Rosenthal's letter.

"The statute requires that Rosenthal must request to take his name off the ballot, which he does not in his letter," McKinney said. "The letter is not notarized or legally acknowledged, which makes him still eligible for the position and makes the people who signed up after Wednesday 6 p.m. out of the race."

McKinney said that as far as the law goes, the Republican race is between Rosenthal and Leitner.

"Chuck took what he believes was proper and appropriate action to withdraw from the race. He would not use a legal loophole to stay in the race," Blakemore wrote.

The Harris County Republican Party has not commented on the validity of Rosenthal's withdrawal letter.

Former Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford was the only candidate to file for the Democratic nomination.