Age: 48

Party: Republican

Resides in: West Chester Township

Profession: State legislator; former AK Steel engineer

Key issue in race: "We have to make some very serious reforms in our school funding and tax code systems in the next two years, if the state is going to grow in the next 10 to 15 years. We need to create an environment to bring jobs and people to Ohio, which will help the state across the board."

Melvin A. Smith

Age: 49

Party: Democrat

Resides in: Hanover Township

Profession: Acting president, Butler Warren Clinton counties AFL-CIO; former executive vice president of the Communication Workers of America Local 4400

Key issue in race: "Improving school funding - including higher education and grades kindergarten through high school - is the main issue. Gov. Taft and the legislature have had ample time to deal with this, and now it's come to a crisis in Butler County schools."

District 8

Patricia Clancy

Age: 54

Party: Republican

Resides in: Colerain Township

Profession: Legislator

Key issue in race: "What Ohio needs more than anything else is jobs. And economic development is a major issue for the state and our area. I think people are very concerned about their health care and the availability of health care. And schools are extremely important. They want to be able to ensure they can send their children to good schools."

Jeannette Harrison

Age: 63

Party: Democrat

Resides in: Springfield Township

Profession: Realtor

Key issue in race: "When I go out to speak with people, the concerns are schools, health and jobs."

District 14

Tom Niehaus

Age: 53

Party: Republican

Resides in: New Richmond

Profession: State representative, 88th District; former newspaper editor

Key issue in race: "We must control government spending. Ohio's spending has increased significantly more than the rate of inflation over the last decade. Some have suggested we need a constitutional amendment to restrain spending. There is another way. Elect individuals who will say no to huge spending increases."

Paul Schwietering

Age: 45

Party: Democrat

Resides in: Union Township, Clermont County

Profession: Journeyman wireman (electrician)

Key issue in race: "Public school funding. The Supreme Court has declared it unconstitutional four times because the legislature has refused to do anything about it. It's unfair from the standpoint of raising funds, and it's unfair with expenditures, too. No one has been able to explain to me why one child should be worth $3.50 to another child's $1."