In the special election primary yesterday for Ohio's Fifth Congressional District, state Rep. Bob Latta narrowly defeated state Sen. Steve Buehrer in the Republican primary, winning by a 44%-40% margin. The primary had been a very rough one, with the Club For Growth spending heavily on behalf of Buehrer.

Latta, whose father Del Latta served in the same Congressional seat from 1959 through his retirement in 1988, will now face 2004 and 2006 Democratic nominee Robin Weirauch. Latta starts out in this race as the favorite.

The seat became vacant in early September, due to the death of ten-term incumbent Republican Paul Gillmor.