'Mortgage Moms' May Star in Midterm Vote

Estelle Nunn, who has operated the Little Place Restaurant in Burlington, Ky., for 36 years, says her dollars are not going as far as they once did. She says she will vote Democratic in November. Many of her customers shared her discomfort about the economy, though not all shared her political views. (Photos By Tony Tribble For The Washington Post)

The economy will also figure throughout the industrial Midwest, especially in Michigan, where layoffs by the auto industry have political repercussions. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) has called the economy the No. 1 issue in his region.

But the fact that the economy is on people's minds does not necessarily mean it will drive votes, as was clear in numerous voter interviews here in Kentucky. Dale Condit, a truck driver, said, like his wife, that he is concerned about the economy and unhappy with the direction of things in Washington. But, like her, he is not sure whether he will vote for Ken Lucas or Geoff Davis.

The owner of the diner where they were eating, the Little Place Restaurant, has had less trouble making up her mind. Estelle Nunn and her husband, Henry Nunn, recently bought a smaller car to save on gasoline. Estelle Nunn, who has operated the restaurant for 36 years, said they are making ends meet but her dollars are not going as far as they once did. She is saving for a new stove at the eatery but doesn't have nearly enough money yet. She is even hesitating to visit her grandsons in Florida because of the cost of travel, something she deeply regrets. "There is uneasiness," said Nunn, noting that she will be supporting Lucas in the fall.

At another table sat Mike Collins, a local judge who said he sometimes indulges his love for singing Michael Bublé songs at karaoke lounges. He said he sees evidence of the economic crush every day in traffic court. Things have gotten so tough, he said, more people are unable to pay the standard $138 in court costs plus the traffic fine.

For all this, traditional class-based appeals to economic grievance would probably not play well in Kentucky's 4th. At lunch at a Panera Bread restaurant in Crestview Hills, a Cincinnati suburb, Angela McNickle was enjoying a "girls' day" with her daughter, Hope, 4. McNickle, a former flight attendant who is married to a salesman, has concerns -- a 7-year-old son has Down syndrome and high medical bills -- but she said her financial situation does not affect her vote. "We're comfortable," she said. "If I was in a different economic class or a single mom, it might be different."

Indeed, Davis, the Republican incumbent, has some formidable advantages. He is well financed, with $1.5 million in the bank. And he is navigating economic concerns by playing down his party affiliation and focusing on his ability to deliver federal aid to the district.

In late August, Davis made two stops in Carroll County. At the first, he announced that he had secured $500,000 in funding for a rural medical center. He then joined Assistant Secretary of Commerce David M. Spooner at North American Stainless, a steel mill, to present an "Export Achievement Certificate" to honor its focus on trade with foreign countries. Asked about the national climate facing Republicans, Davis said, "This is a local race that will be decided on local issues."

It is Lucas who is more ready to talk about national trends. Braving blistering heat at a seniors' picnic along the banks of the Ohio River, he shook hands and tried to call Republicans to account for a "a system where the rich are getting richer." In an interview, he said enough people agree with him to make the difference on Nov. 7.