State Sen. John Boccieri (D) on Tuesday answered the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s call to challenge Rep. Ralph Regula (R) in 2008.

“We’re ecstatic,” said Ryan Rudominer, a DCCC spokesman. “As far as our recruitment goes, this is a terrific sign; for us, it’s a home run.”

DCCC leaders have made the Buckeye State a priority and look at the 16th district as a bit of a bonus. The district leans Republican, but DCCC officials believe that Boccieri, an Iraq War veteran, can give the 82-year-old Congressman serious competition.

Regula, who has yet to announce his re-election, is on the retirement watch lists of both the DCCC and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
— Nicole Duran