One candidate has already declared his intention to seek the seat that will be vacated by State Rep. Margaret Ann Ruhl, R-Mount Vernon, next year due to term limits.

Genoa Township Trustee Rick Carfagna announced on Thursday that he plans to seek the Republican Party’s nomination for the seat.

“The timing of this all just makes sense for me,” he said. “It feels like this is a natural progression.”

A two-term township trustee, he has a long background of political experience. He graduated from John Carroll University with a degree in political science.

Upon graduation, he accepted a fellowship with the Ohio Legislative Service Commission and later served as an aide in the Ohio House of Representatives.

He now works as a government relations manager for Time Warner Cable.

Carfagna said he believes he will be well served by his experience at the Statehouse if elected.

“I know firsthand the responsibilities and demands of the office,” he said.

As the son of small business owners, Carfagna said he hopes to be a voice for that community.

“The challenges small businesses face are always going to resonate with me,” he said.

He said he also hopes to expand access to broadband.

“The Internet has become such a crucial tool in daily life,” he said.

He also wants to provide township governments with more tools to be effective.

“I would like to be a voice for township government at the state level,” he said.

Carfagna is a longtime member of the Delaware County Republican Party Central Committee.

The 68th Ohio House District, which Carfagna hopes to represent, is comprised of the eastern portion of Delaware County and all of Knox County.

The district is heavily Republican. Last year Ruhl won re-election with 66 percent of the vote.

Carfagna will officially announce his candidacy July 29 at Carfagna’s Kitchen in Polaris.