Ohio Rep. Paul Gillmor was found dead in his apartment Wednesday, a Republican leadership aide said. The aide said the body of the 68-year-old Republican was found by staff members who went to his apartment after he failed to show up for work. There was no immediate word on the cause of his death. Gillmor, who represented Ohio's 5th District in the Bowling Green area of the state, was first elected to Congress in 1988.

According to an e-mail circulating among House Republicans, the apparent cause of death is a heart attack. News of his sudden death traveled quickly across Capitol Hill Wednesday around noon, and Republican Leader John A. Boehner, a fellow Ohioan, is expected on the floor shortly to call for a moment of silence recognizing the veteran lawmaker.

Capitol Police is currently investigating, but sources believe that the 10-term lawmaker may have had a heart attack. In November, Gillmor won his district with 57 percent of the vote, holding on to his seat in a year that saw Democrats take over a GOP Senate seat and the governor’s mansion in Ohio. A special election will be necessary to find someone filling out the rest of the term. Republicans are favored to retain the seat.

Rep. Paul E. Gillmor (R-Ohio), a quiet, back-bench conservative in his 20th year in the House, was found dead this morning in his Arlington apartment.

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) went to the House floor this afternoon to hail his fellow Ohioan as "a good friend to all of us, a colleague of mine who served for two decades." "He's going to be missed," a tearful Boehner concluded. Gillmor's northern Ohio district is considered safely Republican.

For Republicans, the sudden and unexpected death is yet another blow. Former representative Jennifer Dunn, 66, a Washington State lawmaker who was once a prominent member of the House Republican leadership, also died today, her family said. Earlier this year, the House GOP conference lost Rep. Charles Norwood (R-Ga.) to cancer.

Gillmor, who had stents implanted to prevent heart attacks, had not been feeling well recently, a source familiar with the investigation said. The congressman flew in from Ohio last night and failed to show up for a 10:30 a.m. hearing on Capitol Hill, Lisle said. Two aides went to his apartment in the 2300 block of Rolfe Street near Crystal City between 11 and 11:30 a.m. They found Gillmor's body lying near the steps leading to the second floor, he said. It was unclear whether an autopsy would be performed.

Arlington police are investigating the lawmaker's death, but police spokesman John Lisle said it appeared to be from natural causes. "It does not appear there was anything suspicious at this time," Lisle said. Bradley Mascho, Gillmor's communications director, said the congressman had complained of being tired during a trip last week through his Ohio district. "He said he was tired and he didn't feel well," said Mascho, who added that Gillmor appeared to be doing better by the end of week.

For a House veteran, Gillmor did not attract a lot of attention, but he was lauded by Republicans and Democrats alike as a kind and decent lawmaker. He drove to Capitol Hill for his final vote at 7:59 p.m. Tuesday before heading home to Arlington that night.

When Gillmor did not show up for a 9:15 a.m. staff meeting, the staff tried his cellphone but was not concerned because the congressman often went to the post office to resume his mail delivery after coming back from a recess. After Gillmor missed a 10:30 a.m. meeting of the House Financial Services Committee, staffers called and e-mailed him again. Mascho and Gillmor's chief of staff, Mark Wellman, went to the house and let themselves in with a spare key. They found Gillmor's body at the base of the stairs near the entryway.

The congressman was in Ohio last week to attend a series of town meetings and tour areas of the state that were hit hard by flooding.

Mr. Gillmor held a seat on the powerful House Committee on Financial Services committee and was vice president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. A staunch conservative Republican, he served as deputy minority whip for GOP caucus.

Before going to Congress, Mr. Gillmor served in the Ohio Senate for 22 years, where he was a GOP leader. In 1986, Mr. Gillmor unsuccessfully sought the Republican party’s nomination for governor.

Mr. Gillmor was born Feb. 1, 1939 in Tiffin. A graduate of the Old Fort High School and Ohio Wesleyan University, Mr. Gillmor earned his law degree from University of Michigan Law School. He also was a veteran of the United States Air Force, earning the rank of captain. He served in the Vietnam War in 1965 and 1966.

He is survived by his wife, former state Sen. Karen Gillmor; two daughters, Linda and Julie; three sons, Paul Michael, Connor and Adam.

Bloomberg News said the death appeared to be of natural causes, according to Brad Mascho, a spokesman for the lawmaker. Mr. Mascho said Mr. Gillmor had been active recently, having traveled to all 16 counties in his district last week.

With Mr. Gillmor’s death, there are 201 Republicans in the House, to 232 Democrats, with 2 vacancies. House vacancies are filled by special election.

Mr. Gillmor was considered a moderate. While his votes on major issues were generally in line with Bush administration policies, he was one of the first Republicans to call for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.

“As a result of very public errors, Attorney General Gonzales has become a lightning rod and has distracted from the mission of the Department of Justice,” Mr. Gillmor said in March, as the controversy over the dismissals of nine United States attorneys was unfolding. “I think it would be better for the president and the department if the attorney general were to step down.”

House Minority Leader John Boehner announces the death of Rep. Paul Gillmor.

A key Republican sponsor of legislation aimed at toughening standards for non-bank lenders was reported dead today.

Gillmor introduced a bill in July with eight other House members that would require mortgage lenders to be licensed and registered, and make them undergo training in ethics and federal lending law. It would also make it easier for borrowers to understand their mortgages, require subprime lenders to set up escrow payments for property taxes and homeowners insurance, and force them to consider whether a borrower will be able to repay the loan.

Unregulated non-depositary institutions have been blamed for predatory lending practices aimed at securing loans to subprime lenders that are not likely to be repaid. These loans have also led to market disruption, as many subprime loans have been securitized.

“It is catastrophic,” Seneca County Commissioner Mike Bridinger said. “I think all of northwest Ohio should remember Congressman Gillmor in their prayers this evening. It is a great loss.

“Congressman Gillmor was not only a friend, an ally, a guardian, over northwest Ohio. He did a phenomenal job of representing us in the legislature. There is a multitude of successes that are credited to Congressman Gillmor. He has devoted probably two-thirds of his life to public service. He will be greatly missed.

Seneca County Commissioner Ben Nutter also commented.

“On behalf of the commissioners and the people of Seneca County, we want to express our condolences,” Nutter said. “We are going to miss him. What a shock it is. We wish his family the best.”

A familiar face in politics is gone, leaving a decades-long career behind. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland spoke on the loss of U.S. Representative Paul Gillmor.

"I am very saddened by the loss of Congressman Paul Gillmor," Strickland said in a release issued Wednesday afternoon. "Paul was a friend and a colleague. I count myself as fortunate to have served with him on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Ohio has lost a truly decent and devoted public servant."

Strickland has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset Sept. 6.

The late representative had recently toured Ottawa to view flood damage and had spoken to the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce on what had been accomplished and what was coming up in the next term.

Gillmor, a Republican, served on one of the most powerful committees in Congress, the Financial Services Committee where he was the top Republican on the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. Gillmor lived in Tiffin and was married to former Ohio State Senator Karen Gillmor.

When Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Tiffin) left a congressional voting session Tuesday night at 7:59, he ended the last moments of his 40-plus year career in public service.

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement this afternoon after it was announced that Rep. Paul Gillmor, R-Ohio, had passed away at the age of 68:

"Paul Gillmor was a man of genuine humility and deep conviction -- a great public servant and a good friend. As a deputy whip of the House, he established himself as a respected leader on issues vital to his district and our country. His love for his family was matched only by his love for this nation, and as this institution mourns its tremendous loss, my heart goes out to his wife Karen, his loving family, and his many friends at this most difficult time."

Gillmor’s Lincoln-Hayes Banquet, held annually in Ohio’s 5th district to honor President Abraham Lincoln and Rutherford B. Hayes, was a constituent favorite. Despite its reputation for drawing national GOP political stars, Gillmor never charged more than $25 for admission so that the average citizen could afford to attend. In a 2003 profile, the Cleveland Plain Dealer described him as a “workmanlike lawmaker” who preferred process to power.