Political analysts said the race is also considered an indicator of how animated Republicans are about the mid-term election.

While immigration has been a major playing card for the Republican Party in border states such as Arizona, it has spread inland to races like this one, where Democratic opponent John Cranley is challenging six-term incumbent Chabot for one of 15 seats the Democrats need to win control of the house.

Like the anti-immigration images that flit across screens in Ohio, experts say a wave of recent advertisements throughout the country suggests a last-ditch push by Republicans to play the immigration card for votes.

“This is an issue where you have fundamentally different perspectives,” said Steven Camarota, Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies based in Washington, D.C. “There’s a very wide divide and if the Republicans emphasize the divide they will do better than if they don’t.”

Chabot, 53, has been trying to highlight a distinction in this southwestern district that encompasses most of Cincinnati and its western suburbs. In his campaign ads, he accuses Cranley, a 32-year-old Cincinnati city councilman, of being too soft on immigration. Cranley has rallied back with ads that reprimand Chabot for failing to address immigration during his 12 years in office, saying it amounts to amnesty for illegal immigrants.

The effect is unclear. As of October 26, Cranley had pulled ahead in the polls by a two percent margin. Cranley led with 48 percent of the vote to Chabot’s 46 percent, according to Majority Watch, a project by RT Strategies and Constituent Dynamics that tracks House races. The Cook Political Report considers the race a toss-up and Washington Post analysis suggests it will go Republican.

In a race where 17 seats remain toss-ups, Republicans have aired recent anti-immigration ads in at least four of those districts including Illinois, North Carolina and Minnesota. In the tight race for Minnesota’s Sixth District, Republican Michele Bachmann has started running an ad chastising her Democratic opponent Patty Wetterling for not acting tough enough on illegal immigration.

In North Carolina’s toss-up Eleventh District, an ad for Republican Rep. Charles Taylor shows people jumping a fence to enter the United States. A mailer for Republican David McSweeney in Illinois’ Eighth District displays an image of Osama bin Laden and warns that illegal immigration threatens national security.

“What is striking is that immigration has become a national issue,” said Camarota, who helped conduct a Center for Immigration Studies poll that showed voter concern over immigration in 14 tight Congressional races. Iraq does remain the number one issue, he said, and it is still uncertain to what extent the immigration wedge will prove an effective tactic for Republicans.

“The Republican short term is to work on areas where the Republicans still have some advantage,” said Michael Margolis, a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati. “Over the past few weeks, they realized that the advantage was national security and if they can link it to immigration it will be an advantage to the Republican Party.”

In the latest of four installments, Chabot has broadcast a television ad entitled “Amnesty” that ties Cranley to a bill allowing illegal immigrants to receive Social Security credits, although Cranley says he opposes that charge. The other ads reflect a similar refrain, implying that Cranley’s immigration reform policies would leave the country open to potential terrorist attacks.

“I think it’s about fear, playing to people’s fears,” said George Bishop, a professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati.

Analysts said the seat just got more competitive with the recent Republican-friendly Cincinnati Enquirer endorsement of Cranley. With a longtime Republican incumbent in trouble, this race could indicate whether party loyalists turn out at the polls.

“It’s more likely Republicans just aren’t going to turn out to vote,” said Wayne Steger, a political science professor at DePaul University in Chicago. “That’s the assumption that is underlying this spur in Republican advertising.”

Bishop added, “There is a general mood of discontent in a historically Republican area.” The unhappiness began earlier and Bush barely won the district in 2004 with 51 percent of the vote. “There is a change in mood and Iraq is the gorilla,” he said.

In Arizona’s Eighth District and Colorado’s Seventh District, states where illegal immigration has been a central focus in the campaign, Republicans pushed a staunch border security stand. Experts say it might have been too strong for a population with a growing number of independent voters who do not advocate amnesty but favor guest worker programs. Both districts now lean Democratic.

Back in Ohio, Chabot is banking on his anti-immigration stance. The Republicans Party is watching as well to see if the turnout in this race gives the GOP a fighting chance at retaining the House.