OH Sen-20: Padgett (R) Not Running in 2008?

A reader suggested I look into the question of whether State Sen. Joy Padgett (R-Coschocton), an unsuccessful primary candidate for Lieutenant Governor last spring and unsuccessful again in her general election campaign for convicted former Congressman Bob Ney's seat last fall, will seek re-election to the Ohio Senate in 2008.

You see, Padgett filed a termination report with the Ohio Secretary of State during her brief Congressional campaign, taking her 2004 Ohio Senate campaign fund down to zero. She has not set up a new campaign account, nor has she redeposited any funds into her old one. That might not seem very significant, but other Senators typically keep their campaign accounts going as a head start on financing their re-election bids. State Sen. Gary Cates, for example, had $81,121.11 on hand in his 2004 campaign account as of January 31, 2007. State Sen. Patricia Clancy (R-Cincinnati) had 20,343.05. State Sen. Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) had $135,095.79.

(I'd give you an example of a Democratic State Senator who ran in 2004 and is up for re-election in 2008, but there aren't any. All three Democrats running for re-election in 2008 will be appointees, because Marc Dann (D-Warren) is now Attorney General, Charlie Wilson (D-St. Clairsville) is now in Congress, and Kimberly Zurz (D-Green) has stepped down to head up the Ohio Department of Commerce. However, I notice that State Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard), appointed to take Dann's place, has already set up a campaign account.)

So, is Padgett going to run? Trying to find any buzz about this question, I did a news search and a blog search on her name. Nothing helpful there, although I did learn that there are continuing problems with the bankruptcy proceedings that plagued her Congressional campaign.

So, it looks like the 20th Ohio Senate District could be an open seat.

UPDATE: It occurred to me to check the balance in Padgett's Congressional campaign account at the FEC. At the end of 2006 she had a balance of only $1,438 in that account.