Eye on 2010

Gibbs is from Holmes County, a staunchly Republican area that is the only county in his state Senate district that is in Ohio's 18th. Most of his district is in Ohio's 16th, represented by Democrat John Boccieri.

It's possible other Republicans will enter a May 2010 primary that also includes Jeanette Moll, who finished second in a four-candidate 2008 Republican primary for this seat, and businessman Patrick Carlisle.

Republican strategists are gunning for Space in the 2010 election after poor performances in their two previous efforts.

In 2006, Space won in a landslide in large part because of the corruption scandals swirling around Republican Rep. Bob Ney, who resigned shortly before the election and was replaced on the ballot by a flawed GOP nominee.

In 2008, Republicans struggled to field a top-flight challenger to Space, who beat an underfunded opponent with 60 percent of the vote even as John McCain was beating Barack Obama by 53 percent to 45 percent in the presidential balloting.

Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele appeared last week in Zanesville and criticized Space for his stance on an overhaul of health care and for his vote in June for a "cap and trade" climate change bill that the House narrowly passed.

With $819,000 in his campaign account as July began, Space is among the best-funded House Democrats who will face competitive races in 2010.

UPDATE: Gibbs updated his campaign Web site to explain his reasons for running. "Like you, I am deeply concerned about the direction our country is heading and that is why I have decided to run for Ohio's 18th Congressional District," Gibbs said in a statement that also touts his background in farming and business.