A GUIDE TO THE CONGRESSIONAL RACES: OHIO

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Though the four-term representative has solid conservative credentials--which suits his white, agricultural constituents just fine--he broke ranks in 1993 to vote for the Clinton-backed family medical leave bill. More consistent with his conservatism, Gillmor introduced legislation to bar Congress from issuing federal mandates without financially backing them.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Instead of shutting down the government to save money, we could just suspend government while the President talks. We would save millions."

ANNIE SAUNDERS (D) District 5

BORN: July 13, 1949, Norwalk, Ohio EDUCATION: Firelands College, Bowling Green State U, 1972 FAMILY: Husband, Patrick; three children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Dental-office manager; auditor POLITICAL CAREER: Huron County Democratic Executive Committee, 1992; Norwalk City Council, 1996; State Executive Committee, 1996 ADDRESS: 283 Whittlesey Avenue, Norwalk, Ohio 44857. Tel.: 419-668-3189

Saunders wants more education and fewer prisons--which means more government money for the former to save money on the latter. A moderate Democrat on social policy, Saunders believes in retraining programs to help the poor find jobs and supported the higher minimum wage as an incentive to stay off the dole.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES 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: "The middle-class working family has been left out of the loop for too long. It is time to help those who have for years helped themselves by working and paying their way, only to find themselves on the short end of it."

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