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State Senate Seat Will Remain Unfilled Until After Midterm Election

Ohio Senate
/
Ohio Senate
State Senate President Larry Obhof

The Republican leader of the Ohio Senate says he’s confident that new central Ohio Congressman Troy Balderson will win in November, even as he’s announcing that Balderson’s replacement in the Senate won’t be picked until after the election.

President Larry Obhof says resumes from those who want to fill Balderson’s Senate seat will be accepted until November 16.

Balderson won the 12th Congressional district special election in August, and he and Democrat Danny O’Connor are on the ballot again for the full term next month. But Obhof says waiting till after the election doesn’t mean he’s leaving the door open for Balderson to return to the Senate.

“No, Troy Balderson is not going to lose, so that didn’t affect my judgment at all. He’s going to win by 8, for anyone who’s wondering,” he said.

Balderson beat O’Connor by less than a point in the heavily Republican 12th district. Whoever is selected as Balderson’s replacement in the Senate will have to run for a full term in 2020.

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.