wtov9 reported that Mr Ted Strickland governor of Ohio, trailing in the polls, got a much needed endorsement from the United Steelworkers.

Mr Strickland faces a tough re election bid against Republican challenger Mr John Kasich, who has a 17 point lead against the incumbent.

A Quinnipiac University poll released last week shows Mr Kasich with a 54-37 point lead. But the Strickland campaign found strong support among local labor leaders gathered at the USW hall in Clarington for the announcement.

Mr Joe Rugola president of Ohio AFL-CIO said that "There's too much at stake here. Throughout his entire career, Mr Ted Strickland has been a champion for working families."

That was the reason union leaders gave for endorsing Mr Strickland. The Mr Kasich campaign has hammered Strickland on the state's economic struggles and jobless rate.

In the Ohio Valley, the uncertain future of the idled Severstal steel mills remains a primary concern, not just for laborers but for the local communities that depend on tax revenue and the money spent by steelworkers.

The Russian owned company has been rumored to be up for sale, and USW district director Mr Dave McCall was meeting with a potential buyer while other union leaders attended the Mr Strickland endorsement event.

Representative Mr Charlie Wilson (D Bridgeport) currently serves Mr Strickland's former congressional district and spoke both on the governor's behalf and about the uncertainty at local mills. He said that "I don't think Severstal has proven to be what we need."

(Sourced from www.wtov9.com)