Election 2012

Ohio’s candidates for U.S. Senate squared off yesterday in the first of three scheduled debates.

The debate was similar to the largely negative ad campaign being over the airwaves as incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown and state Treasurer Josh Mandel hurled criticism at each other. 

Brown pointed to the endorsements he’s received from newspapers like the Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal and Youngstown Vindicator, saying they don’t trust the way Mandel runs the treasury. 

Ohio candidates for U.S. Senate, incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, participated in the first of three debates on Monday at the the City Club of Cleveland.  Karen Kasler of the Statehouse News Bureau moderated.

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan and First Lady Michelle Obama will be reaching out to Ohio voters in campaign appearances.

Ryan has an airport rally in Cincinnati at noon Monday. The first lady will make stops later in Cleveland and near Columbus in Delaware.

Ryan's rally will mean the Republican ticket has been in Ohio six of the last eight days, after he and Mitt Romney campaigned in different Ohio cities Saturday.

Since last week’s Presidential debate, numerous polls have shown a big swing toward GOP candidate Mitt Romney.  WYSO’s Jerry Kenney spoke with the Communication Directors for both the National Republican and Democratic Committees to get their reaction.

For this special edition of PoliticsOhio, Emily McCord talked to two spokespeople for the national Republican and Democratic parties to get their take on the debates, what will it mean for Ohio, and the rest of the country. For the Democrats, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee spoke to Emily as she spent time in Ohio campaigning for the President. To talk about Mitt Romney's performance, former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu joined Emily on the phone from New Hampshire.