Even before the new year arrives, people will be reminded that Ohio could lose two congressional districts in a depopulated state. Majority Republicans-elect could do much of the cartography for the Grand Ole Party.
U.S. Reps. Steve LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township, and Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights?
The GOP could let him retain most of his district and geographically it a bit.
What if Fudge’s depopulated district is merged within 12 months into few parts of LaTourette’s eastern Cuyahoga County and/or western Geauga and Lake counties to be ready for 2012?
Hmm. What about well-funded Republican and former Geaugan Matt Dolan, who’s a former state representative?
Dolan ran Nov. 2 for Cuyahoga exec and lost in the Democrats’ urban areas. But he won the GOPish eastern and outer Cuyahoga suburbs where he could run again, this time to become U.S. Rep. Dolan.
Hmm again. State Rep. Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights in eastern Cuyahoga, and Lorraine Fende, D-Willowick in western Lake County?
They just got re-elected, but are termed out and can’t run again for an Ohio House seat in 2012. What about the U.S. House?
P.S. Instead of redistricting Congresswoman Fudge’s district as wondered above, what if the GOP simply favors disintegrating the Cleveland district of Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich and makes his turf hers?
Then it could be Democrats Fudge and Kucinich versus each other?

--David W. Jones

I’m predicting a pretty big for Republican candidates across Ohio, starting at the top with a narrow victory by John Kasich for governor.

How well Kasich does will ultimately set the table for other statewide officials who appear on ballots.

Of course if Kasich loses, the GOP wave likely won’t be so big, but I’m anticipating it will be.

Maybe people aren’t in love with the Republican Party so soon after the 2008 presidential election, rather they want to kick out the incumbents — something that is common when times are tough.

What that said, here are my other picks:

Ohio Auditor: Dave Yost (Republican)

Ohio Attorney General: Richard Cordray (Democrat)

Ohio Secretary of State: John Husted (Republican)

Ohio Treasurer: Josh Mandel (Republican)

U.S. Senate: Rob Portman (Republican)

U.S. Congress District 14: Steve LaTourette (Republican)

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice: Maureen O’Conner (Republican)

Ohio Supreme Court: Judith Lanzinger (Republican)

Here’s my upset special ...
11th District Court of Appeals: Thomas Wright (Democrat). I think Wright will win big in Trumbull, Ashtabula and Portage Counties to overtake Eugene Lucci (Republican) who will win Lake and Geauga counties.

Other local picks are ...
State Rep. 62nd District: Lorraine M. Fende (Democrat)

State Rep. 63rd District: This is probably the toughest race to pick, but since I have to make a decision, I think by the slimmest of margins Ron Young (Republican) will beat incumbent Mark Schneider (Democrat) ... note this race will be very close and it might come down to provisional ballots counted later.

State Rep. 98th District: Tim Grendell (Republican)

Lake County commissioner: Daniel P. Troy (Democrat)

Lake County auditor: Edward H. Zupancic (Republican)

Cuyahoga County Executive: Matt Dolan (Republican)

Check back to see how I did.

-- John Arthur Hutchison, JHutchison@News-Herald.com