September 06, 2007
Aide: Gillmor Died Of 'Natural Causes'
More details about the sudden death of Rep. Paul Gillmor, R-Ohio, are emerging as aides and lawmakers on Capitol Hill grapple with the loss of a colleague who, just one week ago, was spending his summer break traveling and talking to constituents in his northwest Ohio district.
Gillmor spokesman Brad Mascho told Bloomberg News that the congressman appears to have died from "natural causes." "It's an extreme shock to all of us," he said.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer notes that Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) will have to call a special election to fill Gillmor's seat. But the solidly Republican district, which elected Gillmor to 10 terms, makes a Democratic takeover highly unlikely.
CongressDaily (subscription) reports that the NRCC already floated three state senators as the top possibilities for Gillmor's replacement. His widow Karen Gillmor, who is vice chairman of the Ohio State Employment Relations Board, is also under consideration.
