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Ohio Rep. Gillmor remembered for ‘love for our state and our country’ |
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By Jackie Kucinich
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Posted: 09/06/07 07:23 PM [ET] |
Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) died suddenly Tuesday night, according to his office. He was 68.
Gillmor was found dead in his Arlington, Va., home Wednesday morning after staff became concerned that the 10-term lawmaker had not arrived at his Capitol Hill office, according to an inter-conference e-mail obtained by The Hill.
A cause of death had not been released as of press time. The Capitol Police, along with local and federal law enforcement officials, began an investigation Wednesday morning.
A visibly shaken Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced his colleague’s death on the House floor Wednesday afternoon, pausing once to regain his composure.
“Paul was a good friend. He is going to be missed by all of us,” Boehner said.
The Ohioan’s sudden death shocked lawmakers who, after a moment of silence, took to the floor to remember Gillmor. Lawmakers described their colleague as a kind, seasoned lawmaker who loved his country, his constituents and, as Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) noted, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
“Paul was a professional in every sense of the word, a great public servant who will be remembered by both his colleagues and his constituents as a clear voice for the issues that mattered most to him,” Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) said.
Republican National Committee Co-Chairwoman Jo Ann Davidson said of Gillmor, “For Paul, the question was never, ‘What is good for me?’ it was always, ‘What is good for my constituents, Ohio and my country?’ I, along with all Ohioans, will miss his dedication and his love for our state and our country.”
Gillmor was elected to the House in 1988 following 22 years of service in the Ohio Senate, where he served as president for three terms and was elected Republican leader five times. Prior to entering politics Gillmor served as an Air Force judge advocate with the rank of captain during the Vietnam War.
During his tenure on the Hill, he maintained a moderate voting record. He served on the House Committee on Financial Services and was a member of the Republican whip team.
Gillmor’s Lincoln-Hayes Banquet, held annually in Ohio’s 5th district to honor President Abraham Lincoln and Rutherford B. Hayes, was a constituent favorite. Despite its reputation for drawing national GOP political stars, Gillmor never charged more than $25 for admission so that the average citizen could afford to attend.
In a 2003 profile, the Cleveland Plain Dealer described him as a “workmanlike lawmaker” who preferred process to power.
In November, Gillmor won his district with 57 percent of the vote, holding onto his seat in a year that saw Democrats take over a GOP Senate seat and the governor’s mansion in Ohio.
A special election will be necessary to fill the seat for the remaining days of the term. While Republicans are favored to retain the seat, such an election likely will be a costly burden for the GOP.
Gillmor is survived by his wife, Karen, and their five children.
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