Ralph Regula has announced that he will not seek another term in Congress according to the local Fox News outlet in Columbus.
http://www.foxnews.com/...
His retirement sets up a tough election for Republicans to keep the seat, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett said. Regula's northeast Ohio district has voted Republican about 60 percent of the time in recent elections. But Bennett views it as competitive. President Bush got 54 percent of the district's vote in the 2004 election, but Democrat Ted Strickland easily carried the district in his successful campaign for governor last year.
State Sen. Kirk Schuring of Canton has said he would run for the seat if Regula retired. Other possible candidates Bennett mentioned are Ashland County Commissioner Matt Miller, state Sen. Ron Amstutz of Wooster, state Rep. Scott Oelslager of Canton and Canton Mayor Janet Weir Creighton, who is seeking re-election this year.
State Sen. John Boccieri of New Middletown is the only Democrat to announce a candidacy. No other Democrats have expressed an interest in the seat and the state party is likely to support Boccieri, a major in the Air Force Reserve who has served several stints in the Iraq war, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said. Picking up the seat will be tough but not impossible, Redfern said. "Regula's strength was that his last name was Regula, not because he was a Republican," Redfern said.
It would appear that this might be a prime pickup opportunity for us. I had heard that there was a strong possibility that he wouldn't seek reelection but was a little surprised at the timing.
Are we having a good time, yet?