Two Democrats are squaring off in the March 6 primary to face Republican Larry Payne in November for his seat on the Athens County Board of Commissioners.

Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has endorsed Athens Law Director Pat Lang in his bid for U.S. Congress, the campaign announced last week.

Athens County Engineer Archie Stanley on Tuesday addressed a concern that has cropped up about his office in recent months, since a Democratic primary challenger to his re-election bid emerged in the form of local engineer Jeff Maiden.

Athens County voters now have a Republican option in a race for county commissioner that has the largest slate of Democratic primary candidates.

Before filing deadlines were extended, Athens Law Director Pat Lang had a chance to escape a primary challenge in his bid for U.S. Congress.

Over the several months the debate over oil and gas "fracking" in Athens County has developed into one of the most controversial local environmental issues in decades, and it now looks to be a significant election issue as well.

Both major political parties will see a primary election in the 2012 race for this area's next congressional representative.

Three freshman Republican congressmen who either represent Athens County now, or are likely to after the election next November, are defending their votes last week that critics say nearly resulted in a middle-class tax hike for 2012.

A compromise in the Ohio Statehouse has been reached that will reunite the two planned 2012 primaries next year back into one, and end the standoff over recently drawn redistricting maps.

Although Ohio's primary election schedule is still up in the air, the candidates are off to the races for a number of local, state and national elected positions. District maps for the state Senate, state House of Representatives and U.S. Congress were redrawn this year due to population declines shown in the 2010 U.S. Census.