WARREN, Ohio — For the first time in 18 years, Democrats in the Mahoning Valley won't find U.S. Rep. James Traficant's name on a ballot.

        Convicted of racketeering and bribery charges last month, Mr. Traficant had decided to skip the primary because the trial — in which he defended himself — left him no time to campaign.

        He already had lost his northeast Ohio district when the Republican-controlled Legislature carved up his territory to eliminate a Democrat in the Ohio House. The new 17th District now stretches west into the home base of a fellow Democrat, U.S. Rep. Tom Sawyer.

        Mr. Sawyer, an eight-term congressman from Akron, is the biggest name in Tuesday's primary against two state lawmakers and three political newcomers.

        However, some observers say his support of the North American Free Trade Agreement could hurt him in the blue-collar 17th District, whose voters blame NAFTA for job losses.

        Mr. Sawyer still faces the prospect of coming up against Mr. Traficant, who promised to run as an independent in November.

        Known for his polyester suits, House floor rants and defiant manner, Mr. Traficant became a local hero after beating bribery charges in 1983.

        Retired steelworker Ray Wilson of Youngstown said he recently gathered signatures for Mr. Traficant to run in November and plans to vote for him.

        “I've been in his office. I've never seen anybody turned down for any type of help,” Mr. Wilson said.

        Bill Binning, chairman of the political science department at Youngstown State University, said it's unclear whether Mr. Traficant will get the 1,776 signatures required. Independents have until Monday to file.

        “There's resistance by people to having him on the ballot because he's a convicted felon,” said Mr. Binning, a Republican who has followed northeast Ohio politics for decades.

        Some credit Mr. Traficant with giving the working people of his district a voice. Others say he's failed to attract industry to replace jobs lost when Youngstown's steel mills closed in the 1970s and '80s.

        The new district includes Youngstown and Warren, Rust Belt cities so desperate to attract jobs, their Chamber of Commerce promotes that residents are willing to work for less. The median income there is less than $24,000 a year, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census.

        Youngstown is labeled “Crimetown USA” because of its checkered mob history. The criminal investigation that led to Mr. Traficant's charges resulted in the convictions of more than 70 other people, including judges, a prosecutor and a sheriff.

        Mired in scandal, Youngstown missed out on the economic boom of the 1990s that allowed other Rust Belt cities, such as Cleveland, to repair their images.

        About 58 percent of the 17th District's voters live in Traficant territory. The other 42 percent are in areas loyal to Mr. Sawyer.

        “Sawyer would walk away with it if he had a more favorable voting record on trade issues,” Mr. Binning said. He still thinks Mr. Sawyer is the heavy favorite.

        “I think the district is so Democratic that he wins the general election with or without Traficant on the ballot.”

        Mr. Binning said he doesn't see Mr. Traficant as a factor in November unless his conviction is overturned.

        Mr. Traficant is facing a House ethics investigation and will be sentenced June 27.

        Mr. Sawyer, 56, is telling voters he can do for Youngstown what he helped accomplish in Akron.

        “Twenty-six years ago when I began my career in public service, Akron was experiencing a decline in its signature rubber industry and thousands of people were losing their jobs,” he said. “To begin turning Akron around, we built broad partnerships that capitalized on the research and development assets of our area.”

        Akron suffered the same Rust Belt woes as Youngstown and ranks below average among metro areas in the number of adults with college degrees. But when the former rubber capital lost its industrial base, it replaced a third of the lost jobs with jobs in plastics.

        Akron's once-decaying downtown is home to the National Inventors Hall of Fame and a minor league baseball stadium, which inspired the return of pedestrian traffic.

        Sawyer says Traficant made a mistake by not running in May.

        “In a large primary, his core of support looms larger than it does in a smaller field. At this point, his burden dealing with the consequences of the trial this spring may well be insurmountable,” Sawyer said.

        Traficant's entry as an independent could split the Democratic vote and give Republican state Rep. Ann Womer Benjamin of Aurora the advantage in November. She is unopposed in the primary.

        Womer Benjamin, first elected in 1994, must leave the Legislature next year because of term limits.

        State Rep. Anthony Latell of Girard and state Sen. Timothy Ryan of Niles are both courting former Traficant supporters. They could help Sawyer by splitting up the Youngstown-area vote, Binning said.

        Ryan, 28, is running as a defender of the working man.

        “Politically, I agree with many of the congressman's issues on trade and putting the American worker before other interests like big corporations,” Ryan said.

        Latell, 64, a former state senator and local officeholder, says he would use his political experience to help the district with job development.

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