Of the possibilities mentioned above, only Bliss HAS filed and announced.

Of the possibilities mentioned above, only Bliss HAS filed and announced. Yes. That's why he's the only name not in italics, as the note below the names mentions.

Ken Blackwell officially dropped out today via Twitter.

Coughlin has dropped out. http://www.rollcall.com/news/State-Senator-Ends-Ohio-Senate-Primary-Bid-209749-1.html?pos=hbtxt

Mandel somehow got deleted from this race when I hit the "delete" button below Austria's name, along with Austria. To everyone who had their predictions deleted, I wholeheartedly apologize, and can assure you that this one error will not happen again.

The errant deletion of a candidate from a race has happened to several people, and they've been honest mistakes. I seem to recall "Democratic Primary Winner" getting deleted from the Nevada Presidential election nine or ten times in 2008, and another time in which I had to stop Eddy from removing Primary Winner placeholders from several House races in Florida, after he'd already gotten around to deleting ten of them. It was a simple error, and it's not going to happen again. It's not as if the President container or Candidate page for George Washington got deleted or something.

Punishment: You will be subjected to another random round of postings by User#8073 about Rusty Bliss.

Better the pmorgan you know than the SARGE KUMP you don't, I say.

The filing deadline for this was apparently way back on December 7. The deadline to file in a party primary for Senate is 90 days before the primary, while it is 67 days for the House. Mandel seems to be the only serious Republican candidate, though I'm having trouble finding a list of filed candidates from a non-Wikipedia source (it could just be my difficulty navigating the OH SOS site).

According to the AP: Besides Mandel, who has not yet formally announced his bid, GOP candidates David Dodt of Defiance, Donna Glisman of Graytown, Eric LaMont Gregory of Beavercreek, Michael Pryce of Hudson and write-in candidate Russell Bliss Jr. filed Dec. 7 to run. Joseph DeMare of Bowling Green has filed to run as a Green Party candidate.

Mandel pretty much has to run now, since the rest of the filed candidates are frivolous. Unless there is a way for the GOP to get a new candidate in the face through some other method.

I don't understand, how can Mandel run if he's not already running and the filing deadline was a month ago?

figuring out Ohio filing is a bit tough, since the counties don't post Senate candidates and the Ohio SOS site doesn't post candidates yet

I don't understand, how can Mandel run if he's not already running and the filing deadline was a month ago? He filed before the deadline, but has not actually announced a candidacy and would hardly be the first person to file for office preemptively and bow out. That said, since no other major candidates filed, it seems unlikely he won't be the nominee.

Bliss, the "write-in" won the Lake County Tea Party straw poll vote last Saturday defeating Mandel 56%-42% securing the endorsement nod from the Lake Co. Tea Party.

Rusty Bliss/Santorum 2012