Toldedo Blade - Latta Says He'll Seek Gillmor's House Seat

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Toldedo Blade - Latta Says He'll Seek Gillmor's House Seat

By JOE VARDON

State Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) confirmed last night that he will run for the congressional seat vacated by the death of Paul Gillmor.

The son of former Congressman Delbert Latta, Bob Latta said he planned to continue the tradition of public service to Ohio's 5th Congressional District that his father began.

'I've always tried to be a good public servant,' said Mr. Latta, whose father held the congressional seat from 1959 to 1989. 'That's what my dad taught me a long time ago. I want to continue my public service, not only here in northwest Ohio, but in Ohio and this great country of ours.'

Bob Latta, who in 1988 lost by 27 votes in a Republican primary to Mr. Gillmor after his father retired from Congress, will officially announce his candidacy today at a 10 a.m. news conference on the steps of the Wood County Courthouse.

'This is a very large region … a region where the potential is fantastic. I plan to be a part of the solution,' Mr. Latta said last night.

Two other possible contenders for the seat, Republican Rex Damschroder and Democrat Robin Weirauch, said last night they may be interested in the seat, but are not ready to announce their candidacies.

Mr. Latta hopes to replace his former competitor, Mr. Gillmor, who was laid to rest Wednesday in his hometown of Old Fort, Ohio. He died Sept. 5 in his townhouse in Arlington, Va., apparently from injuries suffered in a fall down a staircase, authorities said.

At a memorial service for Mr. Gillmor held in Tiffin Wednesday, family and friends remembered his tight race against Bob Latta, a victory that opened the door for Mr. Gillmor's 18-year run in Congress.

Now Mr. Latta, who is in his fourth term in the Ohio House and has previously served as a state senator and Wood County commissioner, will attempt to gain the seat that slipped out of his hands two decades ago.

'That election never stayed with me at all,' Mr. Latta said yesterday.

'After it was over, I never lost a minute of sleep. I just went forward. We moved on. One thing my dad taught me never to do was look back. I've always just looked forward and gone from there.'

Mr. Damschroder, a former state representative who challenged Mr. Gillmor in the 2002 GOP primary, said that he had not decided whether to run for the seat. But he added that he's spent hours on the telephone mulling a campaign.

'I'm not announcing today,' Mr. Damschroder, 57, of Fremont, said last night. He is a pilot, real estate agent, teacher, and former travel agency owner.

Among his considerations, he said, is the large geographical size of the district, which includes all or parts of 16 counties from the Ohio-Indiana border east to near Sandusky Bay. Mr. Damschroder said few people are well-known throughout each of those counties.

He also said he's awaiting the announcement of the special election dates, evaluating how running and potentially serving in Congress would affect his businesses and family, and thinking about the cost of a campaign.

He estimated a well-funded campaign would cost $250,000 for the first election alone, depending on how many candidates are in the race. And he said he believes a dozen people are seriously considering running.

What would set him apart if he decides to run is his record of fiscal responsibility during his eight years in the Ohio legislature, Mr. Damschroder said.

'The major problem we're facing is just overspending by politicians,' he said. ?Ms. Weirauch, a Democrat from Henry County who ran against Mr. Gillmor in the last two elections, said she will be a candidate to succeed Mr. Gillmor.

But Ms. Weirauch, who said she was preparing for the next regular election when Mr. Gillmor died, offered few details about her candidacy last night, saying her official announcement will be made in a few days in Wood County.

Ms. Weirauch, 50, who lives west of Napoleon in Napoleon Township, said she chose Wood County for her official announcement because it is the largest county in the district and because she had a good showing there in her last campaign.

Ms. Weirauch's previous occupations include eight years as assistant director of the Center for Regional Development at Bowling Green State University and 10 years as a program coordinator with the Humane Society of the United States.

She was president and co-founder of the Henry County Humane Society.

Gov. Ted Strickland is expected to announce the date of the election to fill the vacancy left by Mr. Gillmor as soon as today.

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