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Congresswoman-elect Marcia Fudge

Former Warrensville Heights Mayor and Congresswoman-elect Marcia Fudge has won the special election to finish out the term of U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Cleveland) in Ohio's 11th Congressional District.

Fudge was unopposed in the special election on Tuesday, which Gov. Ted Strickland declared, saying that he was required to do so by law. The Democrat is a former chief of staff to Tubbs Jones, who passed away suddenly in Aug. 20 after suffering a brain aneurism at the age of 58. The election for the six-week post has been reported to have cost upwards of $5 million.

Unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State show that with 100 percent of precincts reporting, 8,694 voters turned out to vote in the special election out of 492,229 total registered voters in the district. The Secretary of State shows Fudge getting 8,450 votes.

U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-West Chester) was reelected U.S. House minority leader by the Republican caucus Wednesday.

Boehner defeated U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), who challenged him last week.

As leader Boehner said he'll continue to fight for conservative ideas.

Congressman-Elect John Boccieri (D-Alliance) released a statement following the news that he has hired Ohio Department of Natural Resources deputy director Anthony Trevena as his chief of staff in the U.S. Congress.

"I am pleased Anthony has agreed to serve as my chief of staff in the 111th Congress," Boccieri said. "This is a critical position, and I am confident Anthony's background and experience make him a perfect fit as chief of staff for the people of the 16th Congressional District."

Trevena has a Bachelor's degree in education and master's degree in business administration. He previously served on Gov. Ted Strickland's Congressional staff. Trevena will officially join Boccieri's staff in early January.

Congressman-elect John Boccieri (D-Alliance) has hired Anthony Trevena as his chief of staff for when he heads to Washington, D.C. to represent Ohio's 16th Congressional District.

Trevena has worked for Gov. Ted Strickland in various capacities over the years and is from Guilford Lake in Columbiana County.

Trevena took a leave of absence from his position as deputy director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in order to work for the Boccieri campaign.

State Sen. Boccieri defeated fellow state Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Jackson Twp.) in the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Navarre) in Ohio's 16th. Boccieri got 55.26 percent of the vote in the race compared to 44.74 for Schuring.

Don't expect to hear if there will be a recount until after Thanksgiving in the 15th Congressional District race.

The board of elections for Madison County, one of three making up the district, will not release its vote counts to the secretary of state before the deadline of Nov. 25. If election boards finish counts before that day they can submit them to the secretary of state, which would then begin officially certifying the election.

Former 2000 presidential primary contender, NBA Hall of Famer and U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), is coming to Columbus on Thursday to discuss the global challenges and opportunities facing President-elect Barack Obama.

The discussion will conclude a series from the Center for U.S. Global Engagement called "Impact '08 in Ohio." The series is the result of a partnership between the Center, the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University, the Columbus World Affairs Council, and The ONE Campaign.

The Center's series is called "Impact '08: Building a Better, Safer World," and is billed as an initiative calling on the presidential candidates "to revitalize America's moral and pragmatic leadership by making greater investments in our diplomatic and development programs."

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner won her fight to move a court case that could help decide the outcome of the 15th Congressional District race to federal court.

The Columbus Dispatch reports U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley has agreed to consolidate a case dealing with provisional ballots with another case that closely mirrors the same legal issues.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) will challenge U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) for his position as House Minority Leader.

"After discussions with several of my colleagues, it has become increasingly clear to me that we must not revert to "business as usual" in the selection of our House Republican Leadership.  It is undeniable that the American people are tired of the way congress has conducted its business on their behalf," Lungren said in a statement this afternoon.

"It is unfortunate that perception is reality. The selection of our leadership will reflect the initial reaction of House Republicans to the recent verdict of the American people. It is my belief that it is neither in the interest of our Party or the advancement of our conservative principles to simply affirm the status quo by acclamation in light of what happened on November 4th," Lungren said.

U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-West Chester) attacked the idea of a bailout for U.S. automakers a day after U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Cleveland) lent rhetorical support to the idea.

In a statement released Thursday, Boehner said spending money to help automakers without promises to “reform the root causes crippling automakers’ competitiveness around the world is neither fair to taxpayers nor sound fiscal policy.”

Congressman-elect Steve Driehaus (D-Price Hill) has hired a fellow Cincinnatian as his chief of staff as he heads to Washington after unseating U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Westwood) in Ohio's 1st Congressional District on Election Day.

Driehaus hired Delhi-native Greg Mecher for the position. Mecher is a graduate of Elder High School and has worked in Washington since an internship with former U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas (D-Ky.) in 1999. Mecher has also worked with the Democratic National Committee in 2004 and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2006.

Mecher currently holds the title of political director for U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.). He is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University.