State leaders met Wednesday to discuss the 30th District Ohio state Senate seat recently vacated by Jason Wilson, and officials said current 95th District Rep. Lou Gentile, a Democrat, is the likely choice to take over.

Wilson resigned earlier this month to head up the Governor's Office of Appalachia.


Gentile, 31, has the support of local party leaders. He is serving his first term representing the 95th House District and was the unanimous choice of the Democratic Party chairmen of Harrison, Jefferson and Belmont counties, said Mike Rowe, communications director for the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus.


Gentile grew up in Steubenville and graduated from Steubenville Catholic Central High and West Virginia University.

Prior to his election to the Ohio House, Gentile worked as a field representative for then-U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, serving constituents in Jefferson, Belmont, Monroe and Noble counties in the 6th Congressional District.

When Strickland announced that he was running for governor in 2005, Gentile joined the campaign as special assistant, serving in that job for 18 months. After Strickland was elected governor in 2006, Gentile served as assistant director in the Governor's Office of Appalachia. He was responsible for securing funding for a wide range of economic development projects in eastern Ohio. Gentile was elected to the Ohio House in 2010.

An official vote was expected to be taken on Wednesday. Stay with NEWS9, WTOV9.com and WTOV9 Mobile for continuing coverage.