Yup today is primary day here in the Buckeye state. The big race to watch will be the Democratic primary for Republican George Voinovich’s seat. Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher is up against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. The winner will face Republican Rob Portman, who left the house to serve as the U.S. Trade Representative and then director of the OMB for Bush. When he left Congress he was succeeded by Jean Schmidt, so we have that bit of comedy to thank him for.

The good news about the Senate race in Ohio is that every poll has been showing either Fisher or Brunner beating Portman. Fisher generally has a wider lead and he is leading Brunner big time in the polls for the primary.

And speaking of Jean Schmidt, we also have the race going on for who will take her on this November. In the Democratic primary for OH-02, we have Surya Yalamanchili versus David Krikorian. This race recently gained some national attention when Krikorian when all teabagger like on his opponent:

Krikorian’s remarks at a campaign event last week with veterans in Clermont County struck one attendee as racially insensitive in how Krikorian referred to his opponent for the Democratic nomination, Surya Yalamanchili. That attendee then wrote a letter to the current representative for Ohio’s 2nd District, Jean Schmidt, concerned that Krikorian had suggested to the audience that Yalamanchili could not get elected in the Second District of Ohio because of his name.

Jean Schmidt then took the surprising step of writing a letter to David Krikorian, deploring his conduct and intolerant attitude. Her public reprimand was quickly joined by similar letters to Krikorian from David Lane, Chair of the Clermont County Democratic Party, Tim Burke, Chair of the Hamilton County Democratic Party, and Chris Redfern, Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party. Such a broad condemnation for a candidate less than a week before the primary election is virtually unprecedented, according to people who have been in Ohio politics for decades.

And to take another play out of the old GOP handbook, Krikorian is in a “it’s everyone’s fault but mine” defense now:

KRIKORIAN: Keith Olbermann is a buffoon for not checking his sources, for not even bothering to check. But here’s one thing I will state for the record: Last night’s program was sponsored by Procter & Gamble’s Oil of Olay brand, which is the exact brand that Surya Yalamanchili worked for. So how did they cover that story last night? Because I’m sure that Keith Olbermann is not reading the Cincinnati press. So our folks think that the Oil of Olay brand people – Procter and Gamble in particular – were advancing their former employee. And that’s how it got in there. […]

I think [Olbermann] was reading from his script. So somehow that got put in there. And how did it get put in there? Well, look at the relationship between the story and the show’s sponsor. I think it’s pretty clear how it got in there.

Proctor and Gamble, one of Cincinnati’s cornerstone companies, has responded to the allegations by Krikorian:

Due to company policy, we are unable to comment on our current advertising placements. However, I can share that we have a long-standing policy of not using company resources to advance any candidate for office. I also know that the P&G PAC (which is not company resources, it is employee funds) has not provided support to Mr. Yalamanchili.

Keith Olbermann also responded to the craziness that is Krikorian by again giving him a mention in Worst Persons.

It should also be noted that Yalamanchili has been endorsed by progressive favorites Paul Hackett and Victoria Wulsin.

Two other states are holding their primaries today – Indiana and North Carolina. I really don’t know what’s happening in those states, so if  you want to find out more, I’ll leave that up to you and the Google.

UPDATE:

Oh my – how could I forget! We also have John Boehner in a primary challenge today. Boehner hasn’t been primaried in years and today he faces two challengers. While Boehner is expected to win, the interesting question is by how much. If it comes out pretty close then Blue America candidate Justin Coussoule will have a real chance at unseating Boehner this fall. I can’t tell you how much I would love to see that one. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I really want a new congressman.