Ohio. Former Representative James Traficant may be in jail, sans toupe, yet he's still running for reelection. While he has little chance of winning, his candidacy could draw blue-collar votes away from the Democratic nominee, state Senator Tim Ryan, and tip the election to Republican state Representative Ann Womer Benjamin.
At this point, Ryan, who defeated Representative Tom Sawyer of Akron in the primary, holds the lead. A Ryan victory would be a Democratic gain, because Traficant, Democrat in name, voted for Republican Dennis Hastert for House Speaker last year.
Another hot Ohio race: The seat vacated by longtime Dayton Democrat Tony Hall, who was appointed to a U.N. post by President Bush. Republican Mike Turner, a former Dayton mayor, is a strong candidate in a marginally Democratic district.