West Virginia

Two top-tier Democratic prospects recently bypassed running for Senate seats in Georgia and South Dakota -- showing that Republicans aren't the only ones with internal jostling and recruiting hiccups ahead of next year's midterm elections.The prospects' decisions also show divisions within the Democratic Party and its challenge of finding candidates whose ideologies line up with voters in Republican-leaning states.Democrats say they'll be fine even though Rep. John Barrow in Georgia and former Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin in South Dakota declined to seek seats left open by retirements. Both are moderate-to-conservative Democrats whose views would seemingly play well in their states, giving the party a chance to win on GOP turf as Democrats look to hang onto power in the Senate. But without them running, Democrats probably will be forced to back more liberal, less-tested nominees who would likely have tougher races.The circumstances underscore a particular challenge for Democrats: The...

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