A couple of area state legislators are included on the list of candidates that have submitted their names to take-over the seat of former first district Ohio Senator Cliff Hite. The deadline to submit an application for the position was Monday afternoon, and both state representatives Rob McColley of Napoleon, and Craig Riedel of Defiance have filed. Joining them in the running for the state senate post are Paulding County Commissioner Roy Klopfenstein, Frank Miller, Jr. of Ottawa, Craig Kupferberg-Findlay high school principal, and Jeff Smalley of Bellefountaine.
A screening committee of 7 senators will be going over the list and interviewing candidates over the next couple of weeks. An appointment to the first senate seat will likely come soon after that screening. That appointee would then have to run in the primary election of 2018. Cliff Hite resigned from his senate seat last month.