John Edwards to visit Cincinnati

Former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards will help gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland raise campaign money Saturday at the Indian Hill home of former congressional candidate Paul Hackett.

While the event is a Strickland fund-raiser, it could also be an opportunity for Edwards to introduce himself to some Democratic campaign donors who might support an Edwards race for president in 2008.

Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina, has already made some forays into Ohio, which could become an important state for presidential contenders two years from now. Last summer, Edwards stumped in Cleveland and Columbus for the minimum wage increase amendment that could be on this November’s statewide ballot.

He is not the only potential Democratic presidential contender to discover Ohio this year – Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton did campaign fund-raising events in Ohio last month for Strickland and U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown.