Kevin Coughlin drops out of Senate race in Ohio

Kevin Coughlin (R), a former state senator in Ohio, has dropped out of the Senate race, according to a termination report Coughlin's campaign filed with the Federal Elections Commission.

The withdrawal means Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel will have an even easier time securing the GOP nomination for his Senate bid against Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

Mandel has been the front-runner in the Republican race, and has narrowed Brown's lead over him to 8 points, according to a Public Policy Polling survey released Friday. That poll also showed Brown 11 points ahead of Coughlin, but most voters still did not know who Coughlin was.

According to the FEC filing, Coughlin's campaign won't have to reimburse a number of companies, including direct mail fundraising firm HSP Direct, because of a "no-risk" component to the contract that leaves the firm responsible for losses if the candidate decided not to proceed with the campaign.