By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Charles W. Sanders wants to run for the fourth time since 1998 against Rep. Rob Portman in the 2nd Congressional District.

But first, Sanders, former mayor of Waynesville, must defeat Mark A. Crummie of Manchester in the March 2 Democratic primary.

The 2nd District stretches from Lebanon in the northwest to Portsmouth in the southeast.

Sanders, a lifelong resident of Warren County, says he can be a catalyst for change and calls Portman "nothing more than a rubber stamp."

The main concerns in the district, Sanders says, are jobs and health care.

"The federal budget that was just passed takes money from essential programs - education, veterans benefits, health care," he says.

Sanders was elected Wayneville's first black mayor in 1995. Voters recalled him in November 2000 during his second term after he accused village police of racially profiling young black men. He ran again, but lost.

Crummie, a professor at Shawnee State University, hails from Adams County and lives in what he calls a "very poor" area where people are struggling to find jobs and survive.

His students tell him they find it more difficult to find employment. He calls for better jobs in the area and a stimulus package to get people back to work.

Crummie also is concerned about the elderly fighting to get Social Security and the number of veterans waiting for disability claims.

Both candidates say they will push for better cooperation to keep businesses in the country.

"The first duty of a congressman is to his district," Crummie says. "When I look at the 2nd district, I see enormous economic problems. And that's my first duty, to go in and fight for the needs of this district."

Portman has represented the district since 1993. He defeated Sanders in 2002 with 74 percent of the vote.

E mail jedwards@enquirer.com.