This year the race for a low-profile office has grown contentious.

The state treasurer rarely makes headlines unless ther is a whiff of scandal, and usually that is in some way tied to campaign fund-raising from banks and other financial interests.

Republican Josh Mandel, a two-term Ohio House representative, is challenging Democratic Treasurer Kevin Boyce, and Libertarian Matthew P. Cantrell of Columbus.

The Ohio Democratic Party has accused Mr. Mandel of accepting money from people tied to pension fraud in other states.

Mr. Mandel has made an issue of Mr. Boyce's award of a contract to handle the global assets of Ohio's pension funds to a Boston firm under fire for alledgedly overcharging pension funds for exchange fees, a firm that then hired the husband of Mr. Boyce's assistant as a lobbyist.

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First Published October 3, 2010, 10:43 a.m.