COLUMBUS, Ohio: An open Senate seat in Ohio has set off a round of jockeying among ambitious Democrats and a spirited debate over who is best poised to lead a party comeback in a one-time battleground that has been trending Republican.
At the core of the fight, triggered by the unexpected retirement of Sen. Rob Portman, is whether the party should prioritize gender or racial diversity in its nominee or again align behind a white man with the hope of winning back the white, working-class voters who have been leaving the party for years.
As the Democratic Party, we have done the same thing over and over and over again, which is to run white men, and we havent been successful, said Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, among the Democrats considering jumping in the race. I think we have to offer something different and I think thats important; whether thats people of color on the ticket in a meaningful way, and women, you know we are the base of the party, and we shouldnt be an afterthought.
The…