Replacement named for Ujvagi's seat in House

3/24/2010
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU

COLUMBUS - Joe Walter, the director of the Lucas County Emergency Management Agency, will be sworn in Wednesday afternoon to the Ohio House seat vacated last week by Peter Ujvagi.

The former safety director and assistant fire chief for the city of Toledo will complete the more than nine months left in Mr. Ujvagi's term representing the 47th District. He was picked by the House Democratic Caucus from a pool of five applicants interviewed Tuesday.

It's a placeholder pick. It's too late for Mr. Walter to get on the ballot to permanently replace Mr. Ujvagi, who resigned to become the new county administrator.

The party's candidate in the fall is Sen. Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo), barred by term limits from seeking a third term in the upper chamber. In November, she will square off against the winner of the May 4 Republican primary election, Rick Bush or Phillip Barbosa, and Libertarian candidate Joseph Pfeiffer.