COLUMBUS, Ohio – Republican hopes to unseat liberal Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio next year are riding on Josh Mandel, a boyish-looking, 33-year-old Marine veteran whose fledgling campaign has been shaken by allegations of questionable campaign cash and ethical lapses — and a broken promise.
Touted as a rising GOP star after knocking off an incumbent by 14 points to take the state treasurer’s seat last fall in his first statewide race, Mandel has emerged as a prime target for Democrats in a key swing state.
A July 21 Quinnipiac University poll showed Brown beating Mandel 49-34 percent. Even though Mandel faces a difficult race against Brown, Democrats have already hit the challenger on several fronts:
7/8_Mandel told Ohioans that he would serve at least four years as treasurer, but launched his U.S. Senate bid just three months after he took office. Democrats are circulating a video of him making the promise,
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