Four well-known candidates are vying March 6 for the Democratic nomination to represent the new 3rd Congressional District, wholly contained in Franklin County.

Four well-known candidates are vying March 6 for the Democratic nomination to represent the new 3rd Congressional District, wholly contained in Franklin County.

The district, which includes about 80 percent of the residents of Columbus, has a voter index favoring the eventual Democratic nominee by nearly 29 percentage points, based on how its precincts voted in 2008 and 2010.

With early absentee voting already under way, the four candidates have just 23 days left in the truncated campaign. A number of joint appearances and debates have been scheduled, and all four contenders have launched frantic get-out-the-vote efforts.

With the eventual Democratic nominee heavily favored to win the seat in the Nov. 6 general election, here is a closer look at the quartet competing for selection.