Ohio’s Democrats face economic angst, doubts about Senate prospects going into primary vote

In Ohio, job worries overshadow primary election

ASHLAND, Ohio — Ohio Democrats running for an open U.S. Senate seat in the state’s primary election next week say the race is being overshadowed by voters’ worries about the economy and job losses.

The candidates are finding it tough to raise money and drum up interest in the election.

It’s quite a switch for the party that has dominated politics in Ohio over the past four years after the battleground state gave the presidency to George W. Bush again in 2004.

The lack of money coming in to the Democrats in the Senate race have raised doubts about their prospects against a well-funded GOP challenger in the fall.

Democrats insist that they’ll be competitive and that some donors have decided to stay neutral during the primary.