YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Making sure voters remember a candidate's name is crucial to any political campaign, but when voters in the valley go to mark their ballots in the upcoming election, they'll likely see the same last name twice.

Michele Lepore-Hagan, a democrat from Youngstown, is running for re-election in Ohio's 58th district at the same time Christina Hagan, a republican from nearby Alliance, is running for Ohio's 13th Congressional district.

Lepore-Hagan is making it known that she's not to be confused with the republican candidate taking on Tim Ryan this fall.

In a political ad circulating on social media, Lepore-Hagan calls Christina Hagan "the wrong Hagan".

She accuses Hagan, a conservative who openly backs President Donald Trump, of running a deceptive campaign by playing the "name game", by only using her maiden last name and not including her married last name with it.

"She's taking advantage of tricking people into thinking that she's a Hagan from the valley," Lepore-Hagan said.

Lepore-Hagan's husband and former Ohio lawmaker Bob Hagan has a quick cameo in the commercial, where he's seen placing a Tim Ryan sign in his front yard.

Lepore-Hagan says Christina Hagan is not being transparent in her campaigning and on her signage.

"From the moment that she declared in this district, I got flooded with phone calls wondering which Hagan she was, and how she was related to me," Lepore-Hagan said.

The fight for Ohio's 13th district is picking up, with new media ad buys in in September.

Christina Hagan tells 21 News that she's running on the issues, which she believes will sway voters her way in November and away from Ryan.

"While they're trying to claim deception and confusion, we've been very forward about how who we are, we've always said we support the president," she said. "I've always stood by my beliefs."

Both women come from families with political ties in Ohio, but couldn't be more different on the issues. Lepore-Hagan is liberal and currently serves in the Ohio House District previously held by her husband Bob Hagan, who also served in the Ohio Senate. Christina Hagan is a conservative who pushes for the protection of second amendment rights, building of a wall and immigration reform.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Hagan's married name and voting name is Christina Hagan-Nemeth.

She's used her maiden name during her career and doesn't want to change that.

"I've always operated professionally by Hagan and personally my married name is Hagan-Nemeth, however, I don't care to drag my children into the nasty dirt filled political arena that we see right now before us," she said.

Hagan questions who is financially backing the Hagan v. Hagan ad. She believes the attention put on name recognition in her campaign is attempt by democrats to distract voters from the issues.

"I think that they're coming out with this ad, because they're scared," she said. "For a long time Tim Ryan and Lepore-Hagan have run on their name alone."

Lepore-Hagan says she's not being anti-feminist by calling on Hagan to use her full legal name on the ballot. She says it's again about being honest with the voters about who they are as candidates.

"I believe that if you cut it off and you say I'm Michele Lepore sometimes, I'm Michele Hagan sometimes, whenever it's convenient, you are taking advantage of a situation," Lepore-Hagan said.