Veteran Warren County Republican George Terwilleger, pushed out of his state House seat two years ago by term limits, is itching to return to the fray.

        He's just not sure which fray.

        Mr. Terwilleger, 60 and a Hamilton Township resident, said Monday he's torn between running for county commissioner or state senator this year.

        “Quite frankly, I think I can win it,” Mr. Terwilleger said of the 7th District Senate seat. The Warren County part of the district has only 2,000 fewer registered Republicans than the Hamilton County part, he said.

        Senate President Richard Finan must vacate the seat because of term limits, although he has endorsed former Rep. Bob Schuler, a Sycamore Township Republican.

        On the other hand, Mr. Terwilleger said, he sees shortcomings in Warren County that he could better address by returning to the three-member board of commissioners: “I don't think we've been doing long-range planning. We've been sitting back and letting things happen.”

        But that race also would pit Mr. Terwilleger — an executive at Otterbein retirement community — against a veteran former colleague. The only Warren commissioner up for re-election is Republican Mike Kilburn, with whom he served for 10 years before moving to the House. Mr. Kilburn confirmed Monday that he will run again.

        “It'll make a lot of good Republicans make some hard decisions,” Mr. Kilburn said of the potential matchup. “But I don't own the job.”

        Most Warren County races are decided in the primary because of Republicans' dominance.

        Cindy Garland, a Springboro school board member who had toyed with the idea of running for commissioner, said she is too busy caring for her ill mother to decide now.

        Mr. Terwilleger said he expects to make his choice by month's end.

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