Joy Padgett has had her share of political and business problems in the last year or so, but she is still planning on running for re-election to her State Senate seat. The Post Online reports:The senator is serving her second term after taking office in January of 2004 and has met all filing deadlines. It appears she might run unopposed in her own party.Who might the Democrats run against her?
“(I) certainly haven’t decided not to run,” she said.
Because she had filed her semiannual finance report before July 31, Padgett is up to date on all deadlines thus far to run again according to Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s office.
“As far as I know, she’s set to run,” said Brunner’s spokesman Jeff Ortega.
At this point, Padgett is the only Republican candidate that is moving to run for the seat, said Pete Couladis, chair of the Athens County Republican Party.
Athens County Democratic Party Chair Susan Gwinn refused to release the names of any candidates, but rumors abound with familiar names; those of outgoing Mayor Ric Abel and even Councilwoman Deborah Phillips D-4th ward.That doesn't sound like a serious effort to me...
“I’m not at liberty to disclose that, but we have a couple of serious candidates,” Gwinn said.
Phillips said that she hasn’t considered running for the seat, while Abel said, “(I) hadn’t thought about it. When’s her term up?”
One of 13 Republicans up for re-election in 2008, Padgett is in a majority that has an 11-seat advantage - 21 to 12. Every race in the State Senate will be important for the Ohio GOP this year.
UPDATE: Welcome readers from RightAngleBlog, BuckeyeStateBlog and One Oar in the Water
9/6 UPDATE: Joy Padgett is NOT Running Again
