The Ohio blogosphere is alive with rumors that Jane Mitakides is dropping out of the Dems's special election to replace Stephanie Studebaker -- you know, the poor woman who recently dropped her candidacy after getting arrested for domestic violence. (With a mug shot like this, how could she possibly compete?) But we just checked in with Mitakides's campaign, and she emailed us word that she is definitely, emphatically staying in the race: "As of today, I have over $50,000 in my coffers, and I am preparing to announce some key endorsements."

Then where did the gossip come from? Mitakides doesn't name names, but she does write, "If my opponent has ideas and would like to present the people of Ohio's third congressional district with an alternative vision, he should do so. This ham-handed attempt to manipulate the media is amateurish, and has no place when serious issues are at stake." There are three men running against Mitakides in the primary, but our guess is that she's talking about Dick Chema.

UPDATE: A kos diarist has more details on the snafu.