Frank Cremeans (R)

District 6 (South--Portsmouth; Chillicothe; Athens)

BORN: April 5, 1943, Cheshire, Ohio

EDUCATION: Rio Grande U, B.A., 1967; Ohio U, M.A., 1969

FAMILY: Wife, Carol; three children

RELIGION: United Methodist

MILITARY: None

OCCUPATION: Concrete-company owner

POLITICAL CAREER: Republican nominee for Ohio House, 1992; U.S House, 1994-

ADDRESS: P.O. Box 632, Cheshire, Ohio 45631. Tel.: 614-446-8725

Democrats hope that the same Contract with America that helped Cremeans win two years ago--by just two percentage points--will be his undoing this time around: his economically depressed district may not be as excited about fewer government services. But Cremeans, the son of a coal miner and an opponent of abortion and gay rights, says success depends on the individual, and is hoping his mostly working-class constituents still agree.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES

Medicare YES

Defense YES

Abortion YES

Guns NO

Gays NO

Bosnia YES

NAFTA YES

Welfare YES

Medical Leave YES

(For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE:

"I work six days a week. My message is, 'Hey, you can do it with your own hands.'"

Ted Strickland (D)

District 6

BORN: Aug. 4, 1941, Lucasville, Ohio

EDUCATION: Asbury College, B.A., 1963; U of Kentucky, M.A., 1966; Asbury Theological Seminary, M.A., 1967; U of Kentucky, Ph.D., 1980

FAMILY: Wife, Frances

RELIGION: Methodist

MILITARY: None

OCCUPATION: Professor

POLITICAL CAREER: Democratic nominee for U.S. House, 1976, 1978, 1980; U.S. House, 1992-94

ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1492, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662. Tel.: 614-354-7885

After three unsuccessful runs at the House, Strickland finally won in 1992--only to be unseated by Frank Cremeans in 1994. An unabashed liberal, Strickland advocates more spending on highways, education and programs for preventing drug and alcohol abuse, school dropouts and teenage pregnancy. Because his Sixth District is both working-class and poor, he may benefit by this year's apparent anti-Republican mood.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO

Medicare NO

Defense YES

Abortions NR

Guns NO

Gays YES

Bosnia NO

NAFTA NO

Welfare NO

Medical Leave YES

(For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "I believe that people can do things through government which they cannot do as individuals, and I don't back away at all."