P.G. Sittenfeld, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, has put a trusted Cincinnati City Council aide in position as his political director. (Al Behrman, The Associated Press)

P.G. Sittenfeld adds to his 2016 staff as primary showdown looms. John Glenn reminisces about 1984. Read on in today's Ohio Politics Roundup.

Reading between the lines: P.G. Sittenfeld has moved Tamaya Dennard, a top aide from his Cincinnati City Council office, to his campaign staff as political director.

Pols shuffle employees between the public and political payrolls all the time. But Chris Wetterich of the Cincinnati Business Courier believes the Dennard move is a hint that the Democrat is making long-term plans for the U.S. Senate race.

"He's not bringing her over to the political side if he has any remaining thoughts of getting out of the race," he writes. "Moreover, Sittenfeld told me he plans to replace her in his council office, so there won't be a soft landing for her if the campaign sputters."

Sittenfeld is hanging in despite the candidacy of former Gov. Ted Strickland, who has much of the Democratic establishment in his corner. The winner of next year's primary will likely face Republican incumbent Rob Portman in November 2016.

David Skolnick endorses a primary: The Youngstown Vindicator's political reporter writes that a primary would help Strickland, who hasn't run for office in five years.

"By the time of the 2016 Senate race, that will be a decade since Strickland's last win," Skolnick notes. "A strong primary campaign puts Strickland's name back in front of voters. Running campaign ads on television, radio and Internet allows him to frame the arguments as to why he should be elected. ...

"Sure the Republicans will come after him -- they're already doing that. But Strickland stands a better chance of beating Portman if he's on the 2016 primary ballot in a competitive race than he does going in cold against the Republican incumbent six years after his last [failed] campaign."

Flashback: Our pros and cons for a Strickland-Sittenfeld primary. From last month. "Pro" No. 2 - "It would help Strickland get in fighting shape."

Portman calls for Voting Rights Act review: But he adds "that he doesn't know if parts of it need to be strengthened," writes Stephen Koff of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.

"This comes after the Ohio Republican was criticized by Democrats for demurring last weekend on whether he supports a House bill to deal with a key section of the act that the Supreme Court struck down in 2013," Koff notes. "Portman was asked about new legislation, which civil rights leaders say is necessary, while he was in Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the civil rights struggle that helped pass the act."

A must-read for students of Ohio political history: Brent Larkin, writing for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, catches up with John Glenn. The famous astronaut and former U.S. senator is 93 and preparing to celebrate his 72nd wedding anniversary.

"Glenn can no longer read a newspaper, a book or a restaurant menu," Larkin writes. "But his view of the world is as clear as ever. He worries about the Islamic State, is '100 percent behind John Kerry' in the secretary of state's attempt to negotiate a nuclear arms deal with Iran, and he views spending cuts to the space program as a huge mistake."

Could he have beat Ronald Reagan in 1984?"Oh, I don't know," Glenn, who lost in that year's Democratic primaries, tells Larkin. "We made so many mistakes. We weren't properly organized for a national campaign." Reagan crushed Walter Mondale.

44 non-citizens voted illegally in Ohio: Secretary of State Jon Husted reported the findings Thursday. Another 118 non-citizens who are registered to vote but did not cast ballots will receive letters asking them to remove their names from the voter rolls,NEOMG's Jackie Borchardt writes. Democrats, meanwhile, wish that the Republican Husted would spend his time investigating other voting issues.

Tackling toy guns:"Newly introduced legislation in the Ohio House would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or public display of toy guns designed to look like the real thing,"reports NEOMG's Jeremy Pelzer. "Under House Bill 119, authored by Democratic State Rep. Bill Patmon of Cleveland, the ban would apply to any BB gun or gun replica that a 'reasonable person' would confuse with a real firearm."