TheMassilon Independentreports that Democrat John Boccieri is doing well in polls over Republican Kirk Schuring in the race for Ohio’s open 16th District House seat. A recent Research 2000 poll conducted for the liberal blog Daily Kos found Boccieri with a lead of 10 percentage points, and a poll conducted in late September by SurveyUSA showed an 8-point lead. Anthony Conchel, a spokesman for Schuring, said the Research 2000 poll was conducted “before our media campaign was in full rotation,” according to the newspaper. Incumbent Republican Ralph Regula is retiring after more than three decades in the House.

According to the Cinncinnati Enquirer, “Democratic U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth and Republican Anne Northup won’t have a third-party opponent in the Nov. 4 election after the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled a Libertarian candidate ineligible to receive votes.” The court ruled Thursday that Ed Martin could not run in the 3rd District congressional race because he is a registered Republican. “Martin, who owns a supply business, is a registered Republican and voted in the GOP primary in May,” the newspaper reports. “But disillusioned with the Bush administration and unhappy with Northup as the Republican nominee, he sought the Libertarian Party’s backing.” Jefferson County Republican Party Chairman Brad Cummings had filed suit against Martin.