The race for auditor of state is not typically one which attracts a whole lot of attention, and certainly not in a party primary. But that can't be said for the race for the Republican nomination for auditor in 2010.

Mary Taylor is our current auditor. She has a strong pro-gun record as a legislator and served the state well as auditor, but is now running for lieutenant governor on the John Kasich ticket.

Upon the announcement that Taylor would not seek a second term, State Representative Seth Morgan announced his candidacy. Morgan, a freshmen legislator, has already developed a strong pro-gun record, introducing HB315 (Intrastate Firearms & Ammunition), and co-sponsoring HB129 (Alaska-style CCW).

At the same time Morgan was working for gun owners in the General Assembly, Dave Yost was spending his year illustrating why he is a great attorney general candidate, in particular by making Mike DeWine's abysmal record on gun rights an issue in that race.

Following Morgan's decision to run for the seat Taylor is vacating, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine invited Yost to exit his race for attorney general against Mike DeWine and run for state auditor against Morgan.

It is frustrating that Republican voters, which were until recently looking forward the prospect of voting for pro-gun candidates in many statewide races, are now facing a situation where one race (for attorney general) is left without a strong candidate on our issue, while in the auditor's race, one staunch friend will surely lose.

Buckeye Firearms Association will not "choose between friends" in this primary race, and has issued a dual endorsement of Seth Morgan and Dave Yost.

By Chad D. Baus & Jim Irvine

In what could be viewed as an almost-sure sign that SB239 will become law in Ohio, the state's newspapers once again appear to have coordinated their editorials in opposition to the pro-self-defense bill over the weekend, just as they did with SB184 (Ohio's Castle Doctrine law), HB347 (Ohio's statewide preemption law), and HB12 (Ohio's original concealed carry law).

The typical warnings are contained in editorials from the Akron Beacon-Journal (warning the legislation is "risking unfortunate, even deadly, shooting incidents") and Middletown Journal and Hamilton Journal-News (claiming the bill's proponents are acting "with little regard for the violent and deadly consequences that these changes could have on the general population," and warning of "the injuries — and deaths — that will surely follow.")

More interesting, however, are editorials published by several Gannett-owned newspapers, which first admit Ohio's concealed carry law has worked well, before offering dire new predictions about what will happen if SB239 becomes law.