Republican Jim Renacci is challenging freshman Rep. John Boccieri — whose 2008 open-seat victory in Ohio’s 16th District gave the Democrats control of a seat that had been held for 36 years by retired Republican Ralph Regula.

“It’s time to put the people of the 16th District back to work. Creating jobs will be my number
one priority,” Renacci said in a statement his campaign issued Tuesday.

Renacci is a certified public accountant and is president and general manager of the Columbus Destroyers arena football team. He also is former mayor of Wadsworth, a community of about 20,000 residents in southeastern Medina County, one of four counties wholly or partly in the northeastern Ohio district.