Latta Defeats Buehrer In Ohio GOP Primary

Despite facing a barrage of attacks over his voting record on taxes in the Ohio state legislature, state Rep. Bob Latta defeated state senator Steve Buehrer, 44-40 percent, in a highly acrimonious Republican primary for the right to succeed the late Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio).

Latta is now favored to win the general election against Democrat Robin Weirauch, who handily won the Democratic nomination.

The district is solidly Republican, giving President Bush 61 percent of the vote in 2004. But Ohio Democrats believe that they may have an outside opportunity at an upset, given that Latta emerged bloodied from the slew of negative attacks.

The anti-tax Club for Growth poured in six-figures on a barrage of ads accusing Latta of supporting tax increases. Latta’s campaign responded by accusing Buehrer of taking campaign cash from indicted GOP fundraiser Tom Noe.

The nasty nature of the primary prompted the state’s deputy party chairman Kevin DeWine to call on both candidates to “start acting like congressmen, or neither of you will ever be one.”

“I think the party made it pretty clear we were disappointed with the way the primary was handled,” said one state party operative.