David Hobson

State Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) has laid claim to victory in the race for Ohio's 7th Congressional District to replace retiring U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield).

Both CNN and MSNBC have projected Austria the winner.

Austria is running against attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs).

Austria issued a statement saying he was honored to be chosen by the voters of Ohio's 7th.

"I will work very hard to represent the residents of the District and the issues that are important to them," Austria said. "Having been in all eight counties, I have a better understanding of the needs of each community.

The campaign of Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) is touting the endorsement of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Club heading into the final weekend of the campaign.

Neuhardt is running against state Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) to replace retiring U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield) in Ohio's 7th Congressional District.

The BPW/USA is a group committed to supporting equity for all women in the workplace.

Updated: A second ad from the campaign of attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) has been pulled from online.

A Republican source told PolitickerOH.com that the ad was pulled because Huntington Bank, whose corporate logo was in the ad, called Ohio Democratic Party chair Chris Redfern threatening to press charges unless the ad was pulled.

The Ohio Democratic Party flatly denied the call.

A previous Neuhardt ad featuring Clark Country Sheriff Gene Kelly was taken down after Kelly requested his image be removed from the ad. The ad was later put back up with Kelly gone.

Neuhardt spokesperson Jessica Kershaw said the voters of Ohio's 7th District Congressional District are fed up with the lies that she said opponent state Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) continues to cook up.

The campaign of state Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) is saying that opponent attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) has become desperate in her campaign to replace retiring U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield) in Ohio's 7th Congressional District, after advancing her own campaign $110,000.

Austria said the advance brings the amount of money Neuhardt has personally spent on her campaign, including her in-kind donations, to over $125,000.

"My opponent's extremely liberal views do not mix well with the families of this district, which is why she has not received much support from local residents," Austria said. "Instead, she has put in $110,000 of her own money coupled with another approximately $130,000 from her own law firm."

The campaign of attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) released a new TV ad that they say exposes opponent state Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) for who he really is.

"Steve Austria is another career politician filling his campaign coffers with thousands of dollars from some of the very people who pushed our country into an economic crisis," said Neuhardt spokesperson Jessica Kershaw. "Austria's best friends are Big Oil and Big Money. He'll be no friend to the voters of this District."

The 30-second ad titled, "Bought and Paid For" highlights what the Neuhardt campaign calls the tens of thousands of dollars Austria has taken from big money special interests.

State Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) rolled out an endorsement from the National Federation of Independent Business on Tuesday, saying he was pleased to have the support.

Austria pointed to his own background as a small businessman in announcing the endorsement.

The NFIB is a nonpartisan organization that represents small and independent businesses. The NFIB says their mission is "to promote and protect the right of its members to own, operate and grow their businesses."

The campaign of attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) accused opponent state Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) of selling out to special interests on Monday.

The two are vying to replace retiring U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield) in Ohio's 7th Congressional District. 

The Neuhardt camp is saying Austria has taken more than a half million dollars in contributions from "big money special interests, including some of the world's largest health care, insurance, oil, and banking companies - the same people who are responsible for many of the most serious problems facing our country."

State Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) recieved the endorsment of the 60 Plus Association Wednesday from organization spokesperson, singer Pat Boone.

The group is a nonpartisan senior advocacy group that focuses on issues such as the death tax repeal, Social Security, energy costs and affordable prescription drugs.

Boone presented Austria with the Association's Honorary Guardian of Seniors' Rights award, calling him a "fighter for the elderly."

Boone cited Austria's support to repeal the "Death Tax," which the Austria campaign said hurts small businesses and farmers across Ohio and the country.

The Dayton Daily News has endorsed attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) and Dr. Victoria Wulsin (D-Indian Hill) in their respective races for U.S. Congress.

Neuhardt is running against state Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) to replace retiring U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield) in Ohio's 7th Congressional District. And Wulsin is challenging U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) for Ohio's 1st Congressional District.

The News wrote that Neuhardt is the "smarter, bolder" choice for Ohio's 7th, while Wulsin is the "best bet" in Ohio's 2nd. The News notes Hobson's history of being "knowledgeable, relentless and skilled" as he's represented the 7th, and wrote that Austria does not "have the kind of reputation that Rep. Hobson had when he first ran for Congress."

The campaign of state Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) is continuing to hammer opponent attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) for her support of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.

Last week, the Austria camp asserted that the "bailout" legislation has had huge problems and was not working.

Now Austria is up with a TV ad reiterating his attack on Neuhardt.