The unexpected death of Republican Rep. Paul Gillmor sent shockwaves through northwestern Ohio on Wednesday. The district will surely be in a state of mourning following the sudden loss of a representative who cultivated an image as more of a work horse than a show horse. However, it will not be long before would-be successors start making serious calculations about their prospects for winning this district, which has not been open for nearly 20 years.
Under Ohio law, Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland has wide latitude in selecting dates for the special primary and general elections to fill the vacancy. But, traditionally, vacancies in Ohio have not been left open for long. Most recently, in 2005, then-Gov. Bob Taft selected an early August special election date to fill the vacancy of former Rep. Rob Portman, who had resigned to take a Cabinet-level position in late April of that year. Strickland would be hard-pressed to wait to have the special election to coincide with Ohio's presidential primary, currently scheduled for March 4, 2008.
The real question going forward is whether this district
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