Mentor Patch Election Guide

While Election Day may be five months away, we are in the full swing of election season.

Don't believe me?

Both President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney will be in Northeast Ohio this week.

So here are some of the candidates and issues we'll be covering as November draws near.

And, remember, the ballot for November is far from finalized so bookmark this page for updates.

• As stated previously, both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates will be in our neck of the woods this week.

and at a Father's Day pancake breakfast in Brunswick.

Ohio was a bellwether state in the primary elections and looks to play the same role this November.

• Speaking of national elections, both Mentor's senior senator and its congressman are up for reelection.

Incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown will face Republican Josh Mandel, the Ohio treasurer, for the senate seat.

Meanwhile, incumbent Republican Congressman Steven LaTourette faces a field that includes Democratic candidate Dale Virgil Blanchard, Elaine Mastromatteo of the Green Party and Libertarian David Macko.

• Mentor was split in two during the state's recent redistricting, so where you live will decide on which Ohio Senate and House races you will vote.

If you live in the fourth ward of Mentor or Mentor-on-the-Lake, you'll be voting for the 60th district seat in the Ohio House. The corresponding state Senate district, the 25th, is not up for election this year.

Lake County Commissioner and Democrat Daniel Troy and Republican Lori DiNallo .

The representatives' 60th district is an open race without an incumbent because its current representative, Bob Hagan, now lives in the 58th district and will be running there.

• Meanwhile, the first, second and third ward of Mentor will vote for the Ohio House's 61st district and the state Senate's 18th district.

It will be facing off on the November ballot for the House seat.

Young is the representative for the 63rd district. However, due to the redistricting, he now lives and is running for re-election in the 61st.

McGuinness is a registered nurse and the Lake Health Board of Directors chairwoman. Both candidates ran unopposed in the primaries.

Likewise, the state Senate race will be between incumbent John Eklund (R-Munson Township) and Democrat Jim Mueller, a Russell Township trustee.

Both .

• Finally, several Lake County races have been finalized for the November ballot.

Democratic incumbent Robert Aufuldish will face John Hamercheck for a Lake County commissioner's chair while Democrat Judy Moran and Republican David Fiebig vye for Ray Sines's former chair on the commission.

Other Lake County races on the ballot include:

• Republican Bob Patterson and Democratic Ohio Rep. Lorraine Fende to be Lake County treasurer.
• Republican incumbent Charles Coulson and Democrat Werner Barthol for Lake County prosecuting attorney.
• Democrat incumbent Maureen Kelly and Republican Emilee Teresczuk for clerk of common pleas courts.
• Republican Jason Wuliger and Democrat Ann Radcliffe for county recorder.

The following people ran unopposed in the primary and will run unopposed in November:

• Court of Common Pleas Judges Richard Collins Jr., Vincent Culotta and Eugene Lucci.
• Sheriff Daniel Dunlap.
• County Engineer James Gills.
• Coroner Lynn Smith.