Republican Sen. Joy Padgett will not run again for the Ohio Senate in 2008, but state Rep. Jimmy Stewart plans to seek her seat.
In a letter to Senate President Bill Harris on Tuesday, Padgett announced that she would not seek a second term representing District 20, which includes Athens County. The former state representative and educator from Coshocton said in the letter that the decision was based on more than one factor, including term limits that would keep her from running again for the seat in 2012.
I plan to work many more years and prefer that my continued employment be based on performance measures G? not a ticking clock
she wrote. She plans to finish out her current term.
In separate news releases yesterday, Harris called Padgett a tireless advocate on behalf of her constituents and voiced support for Stewart's Senate candidacy.
Stewart, an Albany-based Republican serving his third term in the House of Representatives, echoed Harris's comments and said he decided to run after Padgett called him Wednesday with the news that she would not do so.
The former Athens city councilman said winning the Senate seat would mean more responsibility and the opportunity for greater impact. But he vowed to stick to the priorities he has demonstrated as an elected official during the past decade, including improving the quality and affordability of higher education, creating jobs and developing alternative energy in the region and increasing bipartisan cooperation. 17
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Kantele Franko
