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The Taft family is legendary in Ohio politics. Republican candidate Bob Taft is descended from a long line of political names -- his great-grandfather is the late President William Howard Taft and his father and grandfather were both U.S. Senators.

Now serving as Secretary of State, Taft is battling Democratic candidate and former Attorney General Lee Fisher to succeed Republican incumbent George Voinovich, who is running for Senate. If Taft wins, he will add the office of governor to the Taft family annals.

From the beginning Taft has run like an incumbent, and many observers have thought the race was his to lose. He refused to debate one-on-one (Fisher reluctantly agreed to a debate that included minor party candidates).

Among the campaign skirmishes is a debate over competing tax plans. In September Fisher proposed a $1.1 billion cut in property taxes. Taft immediately labeled it ,b>"risky" and "irresponsible" but offered his own more modest tax cut a day later.

Soon after, both camps unveiled ads assailing each others= plans. Fisher has also accused Taft of being misleading in a crime ad and got a temporary injunction to keep it off the air, but the injunction was later lifted.

The two campaigns are on their way to spending a record $20 million. Both national parties have put in substantial money, and the AFL-CIO has also been running ads. The race has tightened, and Democrats are still hoping to close the gap, but Taft still has an edge leading into the final stretch.

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