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The Dispatchpublic affairs team talks politics and tackles state and federal government issues in the Buckeye Forum podcast.

Gov. John Kasich would face two challengers this fall neither of them a surprise based on filings so far to qualify for primaries on May 6.

Kasich, Democrat Ed FitzGerald and Libertarian Charlie Earl have each filed a required number of signatures with the secretary of states office ahead of todays 4 p.m. deadline. The Republican governor and FitzGerald were required to collect 1,000 valid signatures of registered Ohio voters; Earl had to get 500 as a minor party candidate. No other candidate had filed as of 11 a.m.

Kasich put out a news release this morning boasting of nearly 3,000 signatures collected from all 88 counties. FitzGerald handed in his petitions yesterday quietly; Earl told The Dispatch he collected 1,483 and said no other Libertarian would file to challenge him in the primary.

Its all me, no one else is this stupid, Earl said.

Neither Kasich nor FitzGerald ever faced a serious primary threat. Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune publicly mulled a bid against FitzGerald, but the odds were long for numerous reasons and he formally bowed out Friday. Some tea party candidates briefly toyed with possible runs against Kasich.

Kasichs running mate is Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, former state auditor; attorney and abortion-rights activist Sharen Neuhardt is running with FitzGerald; and Sherry L. Clark of Delaware County is Earls running mate.

All major party candidates for down-ticket races have already filed their petitions. Libertarian Steven R. Linnabary would face Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine and challenger Democrat David Pepper. Libertarians are expected to file in three other statewide races, but here are the candidates who have filed thus far:

Secretary of State: incumbent Republican Jon Husted vs. state Sen. Nina Turner, D-Cleveland.

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Ohio primaries taking shape