James Traficant says he will file later today to run as an independent against either Tim Ryan (D, OH-17) or Charlie Wilson (D, OH-06). Ryan’s district has a PVI of D+12 while Wilson’s is R+2. I guess everyone needs a hobby.

There hasn’t been much of a spotlight focused on the Ohio Senate primary (May, 2010), except in Ohio– at least not yet. The Republicans have all but picked their candidate for the open seat, ex-lobbyist (for Oman and Haitian dictator Baby Doc Duvalier) and pre-Mean Jean Schmidt Congressman Rob Portman who went on to serve as Bush’s Trade Representative and then his director of OMB, two jobs at which he failed spectacularly, particularly for Ohio working families.

Today we’re going to start looking at the contest by meeting the more progressive of the two candidates, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.