Ohio GOP's financial support wavering

As the GOP scrambles nationwide to retain its majority, scandal-ridden Ohio appears to be falling off the financial radar screen.

Television time is being forsaken for House candidates. And national promotions of the state's gubernatorial candidate by the Republican Governors Association popped up, then disappeared.

Ohio Republicans are trying to regroup amid a guilty plea Friday by U.S. Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record) in a Washington influence-peddling case and the trial of GOP fundraiser Tom Noe — accused of stealing from a state investment in rare coins — set to begin next week. Their national counterparts are following suit, focusing every last penny on races they believe they can win.

Those include U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (news, bio, voting record)'s seat, which is being hotly contested by U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown (news, bio, voting record); U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce (news, bio, voting record)'s seat, which Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy is seeking; and the seat Ney is vacating, which the party hopes state Rep. Joy Padgett can win over Democrat Zach Space.

"As races change, dynamics change," said Ed Patru, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "We're not going to continue spending money in races where we're significantly ahead and, conversely, in some races if it looks to be out of reach, you're not going to dump a bunch of money into it."

In recent days, the committee pulled advertising it had planned in the race between Republican Craig Foltin and Democrat Betty Sutton for Brown's open House seat, which the GOP initially thought it could wrest from Democrats. The committee also viewed the seat being vacated by Democratic U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland (news, bio, voting record), who is running for governor, as a potential gain, but has backed away from that hope.

Strickland has held a double-digit lead in the polls in that race, which is drawing national attention because the winner's party will carry an edge into the 2008 presidential election. A narrow win in Ohio gave President Bush the electoral votes he needed for re-election in 2004.

Without mentioning specifics, Patru said open seats have been judged less important than those held by incumbents. He said the committee is still optimistic about 10 to 12 seats that are open or held by Democrats nationwide, and believes Democrats have also adjusted their early expectations.

Meanwhile, after an aggressive early advertising push, Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Blackwell, Ohio's secretary of state, has disappeared from the airwaves — a surprising turn of events for the leading candidate on the party's ticket.