Showing posts with label Paul Gillmor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Gillmor. Show all posts

TIME : Ohio Congressman Dies

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Ohio Congressman Dies

AP | September 5, 2007

(WASHINGTON) — Ohio Rep. Paul Gillmor was found dead in his apartment Wednesday, a Republican leadership aide said.

The aide said the body of the 68-year-old Republican was found by staff members who went to his apartment after he failed to show up for work. There was no immediate word on the cause of his death. Gillmor's office did not respond to a reporter's call.

Gillmor, who represented Ohio's 5th District in the Bowling Green area of the state, was first elected to Congress in 1988.

The aide spoke on condition of anonymity pending an official announcement.

Gillmor, who served as a judge advocate in the Air Force after graduating law school, won a seat in the Ohio state senate in 1966, and served there for 22 years, rising to the senate presidency. After an unsuccessful run for governor in 1986, Gillmor was elected to the U.S. House in 1988 after eking out a 27-vote victory in the primary.

As a House member was a little-known but solid Republican vote, and a reliable conservative on social issues.

He led legislative efforts in such areas as cleanups of commercially contaminated sites known as brownfields and enacting financial service reforms. He was also a strong advocate of a constitutional amendment to ban unfunded mandates on the states.

He is survived by his wife and five children.

NYT : Ohio Congressman Found Dead

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Ohio Congressman Found Dead

By DAVID STOUT | Published: September 5, 2007

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 — Representative Paul Gillmor, an Ohio Republican who represented much of the northwestern and north-central part of the state, was found dead in his apartment today.

Mr. Gillmor, 68, was discovered by staff members who went to the apartment in Arlington, Va., after the congressman did not show up at his office, a Republican leadership aide told The Associated Press. An announcement from Mr. Gillmor’s office was expected shortly.

Bloomberg News said the death appeared to be of natural causes, according to Brad Mascho, a spokesman for the lawmaker. Mr. Mascho said Mr. Gillmor had been active recently, having traveled to all 16 counties in his district last week.

Mr. Gillmor’s death occurred the same day as that of former Representative Jennifer Dunn, a Republican from the Seattle area who became one of the most powerful women in Washington State politics. Ms. Dunn, 66, died in her Virginia apartment today of a blood clot, her family said.

Mr. Gillmor was first elected to Congress in 1988. The Almanac of American Politics describes his district, the Fifth, as “a solidly Republican district from the Civil War through the New Deal and up through today,” so his passing is unlikely to change the makeup of the House.

With Mr. Gillmor’s death, there are 201 Republicans in the House, to 232 Democrats, with 2 vacancies. House vacancies are filled by special election.

Mr. Gillmor was considered a moderate. While his votes on major issues were generally in line with Bush administration policies, he was one of the first Republicans to call for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.

“As a result of very public errors, Attorney General Gonzales has become a lightning rod and has distracted from the mission of the Department of Justice,” Mr. Gillmor said in March, as the controversy over the dismissals of nine United States attorneys was unfolding. “I think it would be better for the president and the department if the attorney general were to step down.”

Mr. Gillmor was a member of the Energy and Commerce and the Financial Services committees. A lawyer, he served 22 years in the Ohio State Senate before going to Washington. He was married and had five children.