(AP) - By JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press
A Republican U.S. Senate primary in Ohio that's barely registered with the public suddenly has a dividing line: Roy Moore.
Josh Mandel, the 40-year-old state treasurer considered the front runner, is declining to state a position on whether Moore should quit the Alabama Senate race if allegations of sexual misconduct with minors prove true.
That's a break from Republican leadership.
Rival Mike Gibbons, a 64-year-old Cleveland banker and first-time politician, says Moore should "of course" step aside if it's true he made sexual advances on teenage girls in his 30s.
The Associated Press sought both men's opinions of the matter Friday. After repeated calls and text messages, Mandel's campaign said to say it "didn't respond."
The Republican nominee will seek the seat held by Democrat Sherrod Brown next November.
