WKSU News: Northeast Ohio Congressional wrapups

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 Northeast Ohio Congressional wrapups Primary yields some tight results, but no real suprises by WKSU's ALISON RITCHIE	Reporter Alison Ritchie

Primary voters stood strongly behind their incumbent members of Congress Tuesday, and crowded fields of challengers quickly thinned out. Here's a summary of some of the key races.

OH-13

Democratic incumbent Betty Sutton will face off in the fall against a candidate who’s putting up millions of his own money to challenge her for her congressional seat. Both Sutton and Republican Thomas Ganley were big winners in their party primaries Tuesday. The 13^th District extends from Lorain county, through parts of Medina, Cuyahoga and Summit counties.

OH-14

The only Republican congressman in Northeast Ohio’s congressional delegation was unopposed in his party primary Tuesday. But Steve LaTourette will have competition come November in a repeat of the election two years ago. Bill O’Neill won the Democratic nomination Tuesday.

OH-16

The former mayor of Wadsworth, Jim Renacci, won the Republican nomination for the 16^th Congressional District Tuesday over three other would-be challengers. Renacci was the endorsed candidate of the state and national GOP, but faced a tight race against former Ashland County Commissioner Matt Miller.

Renacci will go up against John Boccieri in November. Boccieri is a conservative Democrat who won the district two years ago. It had been held for nearly 60 years by moderate Republicans. Boccieri ran unopposed in the primary.

OH-17

Tim Ryan, Ohio’s current Democratic representative in the 17^th Congressional district, won Tuesday’s primary election against two Democratic challengers: Dan Moadus and Robert Crow. Moadus ran on the Tea Party platform. Ryan will be running against Republican Jim Graham in November.

OH-18

Eight Republican candidates were vying for their party’s nomination for the 18^th District congressional seat. And two of the eight are in a virtual tie: Ohio State Senator Bob Gibbs, who had the backing of the state Republican party, and former Ohio agriculture secretary Fred Daily.

The winner will run against incumbent Zack Space in November. Space was elected to office in 2006, after former Republican congressman Bob Ney resigned and went to prison. Space easily won re-election in 2008, but the district still is considered a swing district.

Incumbent Cleveland Democrats Marcia Fudge and Dennis Kucinich also easily won their party's nomination.