This article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which makes the otherwise unremarkable observation that Republicans are confident about this fall, contains some interesting notes about various bellwether races here in Ohio. Highlights follow:

Republican candidate Steve Chabot is so sure he will win back the U.S. House of Representatives seat he held for 14 years that he often tells voters what he will do ‘when I’m back in Congress.’ …
Even the more reliably Democratic seat that incumbent Betty Sutton of Copley Township first won in 2006 may be in play. The Republican candidate running against Sutton, Brecksville auto dealer Tom Ganley, says he had a three-point lead over Sutton in a survey his campaign conducted in February. Its results prompted him to seek Sutton’s seat instead of running for the U.S. Senate. His campaign would not release further details on the poll. …
Renacci, a former Wadsworth mayor who ran a chain of nursing homes and other businesses, also touts his job-creation credentials as he campaigns for the seat currently held by Alliance Democratic Rep. John Boccieri. He says the fact that he’s making inroads is demonstrated by the barrage of negative ads being run against him by groups including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union.