Primary Day: Testing Themes for Big Fall Elections

OHIO

For all the primaries testing tea party clout and veteran senators' ability to survive, a special House election in southwestern Pennsylvania is the multimillion-dollar battleground of choice today for the two political parties, previewing themes for a fall campaign shadowed by recession and voter discontent.

The House race features Republican Tim Burns against Democrat Mark Critz to fill out the final few months in the term of the late Democratic Rep. John Murtha. But the two national parties made it something more than that when they decided several weeks ago to invest heavily - roughly $1 million apiece independent of their candidates.

The district is home to more registered Democrats than Republicans. There is a solid blue collar vote, and opposition to gun control and abortion is strong within both parties. The district supported Sen. John McCain in the 2008 presidential election after siding with Democrats in the previous two races for the White House.