CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Political experts increasingly believe Democrats in 2018 have a shot at pulling off an upset in Ohio's 16th Congressional District, even though it was designed to be a safe Republican seat.

But with a slew of first-time primary candidates whose campaigns are getting late starts -- none of whom have reported any significant fundraising activity -- and with early primary voting beginning in less than two weeks, are they in danger of being ill-prepared to take advantage of the opportunity?

"It's one of those years when you may look back and say, 'How did we miss this?'" said Jerry Austin, a long-time Democratic political consultant who lives in suburban Akron. "We didn't miss anything. It's a work in progress, and you can't predict some of the things that have happened."

Ohio's 16th Congressional District

Political observers began re-imagining the 16th District earlier this month after Democrat Connor Lamb, riding a wave of Democratic enthusiasm, pulled off an upset in a heavily Republican special congressional election in suburban Pittsburgh. The oddly-shaped 16th District, which encompasses suburbs of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Medina and all of Wayne County, demographically resembles the district Lamb won.

Like the seat Lamb won, Ohio's 16th District is an open seat, since incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci decided to run for statewide office instead of seeking re-election. As recently as 2012, Democratic U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton lost the seat by just 4 points to Renacci in what was a generally strong year for Democrats. Like Lamb's district, Trump won Ohio's 16th District by nearly 20 points, although Trump performed better in other Republican districts.

Sabato's Crystal Ball, a widely read political analysis website based at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, switched the 16th District to "leans Republican" from "likely Republican." That may not seem like much, but the distinction upgrades the district from a perceived near-lock for Republicans to a possible win for Democrats.

Dean DePiero, a former Parma mayor and ex-state legislator who decided not to run for the 16th District after seriously considering doing so, said he thinks the right Democrat could eke out a win. But he was halting in his answer when asked to size up the Democratic candidate field.

"I don't want to criticize any of the people who are running," DePiero said. "I think anything is possible in a year like this. I think it is a little tougher, because none of them have held elected office. But that said, maybe a fresh face is what people are looking for."

The 16th District's Republican primary has attracted national attention. It features former Ohio State University star Anthony Gonzalez, a first-time candidate running a more traditional Republican campaign; and State Rep. Christina Hagan, an established Stark County politician who has made repeated, conspicuous efforts to align herself with President Donald Trump.

The Democratic primary is viewed as more wide open, but party leaders are looking at two candidates in particular to potentially distinguish themselves.

One is Grant Goodrich, an Iraq War veteran who is the director of the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University, which aims to advocate for and fund renewable energy research. Another is Susan Moran Palmer, a health care professional and former longtime board member for Providence House, a Cleveland nonprofit that aims to help and protect abused children. Both Goodrich and Palmer have recently hired dedicated campaign staffs and are working to kick the tires on something resembling a professional campaign. Both also are running in a more moderate mold.

Another candidate, laborer TJ Mulloy, has received a key endorsement from the Cleveland Building Trades Council, an influential labor group. Another, physicist Aaron Godfrey, has been endorsed by the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, a local affiliate of the remnants of Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. Also running are Mark Dent, an attorney and John Wilson, a stay-at-home father.

No candidate has consolidated support from Democratic Party groups, activists, or donors. Only Godfrey, a progressive who has been energetically working the Democratic activist scene for over a year, has reported raising any money as of the last campaign finance filing deadline. But, he only raised about $3,600 through December, a paltry sum considering competitive congressional campaigns can spend hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars on advertising, get-out-the-vote efforts and campaign staff.

That leaves candidates scrambling to raise money for advertising while also attending community meetings, meeting potential endorsers and striving for media attention.

"I think the party generally would prefer to have someone who had more experience or more proven experience or proven electoral mettle," said Kyle Kondik, a political analyst and Ohio native who edits Sabato's Crystal Ball. "But you know, that doesn't necessarily mean the person who emerges won't be good."

Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper said he and other party leaders actively decided to take a hands-off approach to the race.

"Right now in the Democratic Party, I think there is a huge cry, and I agree with it, for the party to not play too heavy in primaries, or frankly not to play at all," he said.

Asked if he thinks that puts the party at a disadvantage -- and makes it more likely a less viable candidate advances -- Pepper said he believes support will coalesce around the winning candidate, if that candidate can convince donors, activists and voters that they have a shot at winning.

DePiero, the former Parma mayor who considered running, would have been, on paper, an ideal candidate in many ways. He consulted with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee before ultimately deciding not to run.

He said around 38 percent of votes in the 16th District are in western and southwestern Cuyahoga County. A successful Democratic candidate would have to attempt to have broad appeal while mobilizing support in more suburban communities like Brunswick, North Royalton, Rocky River, Strongsville and Westlake, he said.

He believes the so-called "Blue Wave" effect could translate to 3-5 points, putting a Democrat within striking distance if everything else plays out favorably.

"I still wouldn't underestimate the Trump voter," DePiero said. "I still think the Democrat has to stand for something and be right on the issues... the candidate's got to be middle of the road, mainstream. Someone like that could have some appeal."

Grant Goodrich

Goodrich, the economic development official, said he first thought about running last year, but decided to stay out after he'd heard speculation that DePiero or Sutton, the former 16th District representative, might decide to run. But after no established candidates stepped forward, he announced his candidacy in January.

Goodrich acknowledged he is learning on the fly, while also balancing the demands of working, running for office and being a father of a young child. Goodrich's campaign has emphasized that he is a gun owner, as well as the owner of a fruit farm in Medina County. He said he's found people in the district are concerned about economic issues like paying for their children's education, improving stagnating wages or paying for escalating health care costs.

"I was in Iraq in 2004, while Anthony Gonzalez was catching passes for Ohio State," Goodrich said. "There's no comparison in terms of qualifications and experience, and if I can get that story in front of voters, I feel fairly certain that I can make the case to win this race."

Democrats look at Goodrich and see someone similar to Conor Lamb, who like Goodrich is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. A major knock on Goodrich, though, is that he doesn't live in the 16th District. Goodrich said if he wins, he'll move there from his home in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood.

He also points out that he grew up in Summit County, attending Revere schools, and is a Medina County taxpayer via his farm. He said the district is heavily gerrymandered, and that when he's able to explain his background, people see that he's "Northeast Ohio through and through."

Susan Moran Palmer

Palmer, meanwhile, jokes she's in a "mixed marriage" -- that is, her husband is a Republican who she said isn't crazy about Trump. "We're both fiscally conservative and socially, somewhere between liberal and 'It's none of the government's business,'" she said. Democrats look at Moran, a Westlake resident who works in health care-related sales, and see someone like U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Democrat with a health care background who won election in 2016 in an Illinois congressional district that Trump won.

Palmer, who grew up in a working-class family in the Youngstown area before putting herself through college, said she's concerned economic opportunities aren't available anymore for people with her background. She said she's sunk $20,000 of her own money into her campaign to get things started, and hopes to build from there. She said she thinks she has a knack for public speaking and connecting with people.

She said the Democratic primary is "wide-open," and the general election is winnable. She said given the uphill battle the district will pose for a Democrat, it's naturally attracted candidates with no political experience.

"When it was +8 [Republican], if you had an established Democrat, they weren't running into this district. It was an opportunity to lose," she said. "If you were someone with an established political reputation, you didn't want to throw those dice."