Five of the candidates seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland in Ohio's 6th district were represented at a forum organized by the Ohio Valley Business and Professional Women's Club on Wednesday night.

Months ago, it would not have been an outlandish prediction that State Sen. Charlie Wilson, a Democrat from St. Clairsville and State Rep. Chuck Blasdel, a Republican from East Liverpool, would square off in the race for Strickland's seat.

Wilson's campaign stumbled when he failed to submit the required number of signatures on his petition to run and was left off the primary ballot.

Now national leaders in the Democratic Party are putting lots of resources behind Wilson's write-in campaign.

"It doesn't change anything," said Chris Gagin, a representative of Wilson's campaign. "He still believes in what he believes in."

Fellow Democrat Bob Carr of Wellsville, who did make it onto the ballot, is not happy.

"What's happening is money's being drained from all the other Democratic candidates into his one race," said Carr.

National Republican leaders are also pouring money into the 6th district race.

Advertisements targeting Wilson started airing on local television on Wednesday.

The 30-second spot targets Wilson for his role as chairman of a regional wastewater authority that was fined for dumping sewage into the Ohio River in the 1990s.

Wilson's opponents in races for the statehouse have brought up that issue in negative ads previously, but Wilson won every race.

The fine print at the end of the television commercial says it was paid for by the National Republican Congressional Campaign and was not connected to any candidate.

Blasdel's campaign manager Ryan Stenger told NEWS9 he hasn't seen the commercial.

"The things I talked about (Wednesday night) are Chuck's core values," Stenger said. "Fighting for small business and fighting against too many roadblocks and government bureaucracies."

Blasdel is himself facing several challengers in the primary, including former Belmont County Sheriff Richard Stobbs.

"If I would get elected," said Stobbs, "I'd have to leave my badge and handcuffs in Belmont County because they (constituents) have a lot of questions about what the congressmen are doing."

Republican Tim Ginter, a minister from East Liverpool, is also running a campaign based on core conservative values and rebuilding the Ohio Valley.

"I think the race is about bringing things back to the Ohio Valley," said Ginter. "It's about bringing jobs back home so our children don't have to leave home."

The primary election is on May 2, but it's already getting the sort of national attention usually reserved for the fall.

To learn more about the candidates, including those who did not attend Wednesday's forum, look up the following Web sites:

GOP Candidates

Chuck Blasdel - Ohio State Representative http://www.blasdelforcongress.com/

Tim Ginter - Pastor http://www.ginterforcongress.com/

Danny Harmon - Noble County Commissioner http://www.harmonforcongress.com/

Richard S. Holt - Consultant http://www.teamholt.net/

Richard D. Stobbs - Former Belmont County Sheriff, Viet Nam veteran stobbsforcongress.com

Democrat Candidates

Charlie Wilson - Ohio State Senator http://www.charliewilson.com

Bob Carr - Developer http://www.bobcarr.org

John Luchansky - Former truck driver, reporter and bartender (no Web site available)

Eric Minor, NEWS9