COLUMBUS (AP) - State Rep. Tom Niehaus' narrow victory over Rep. Jean Schmidt in a Republican Ohio Senate primary is the latest example of the ruling party's internal squabbling in the term limits era.

Niehaus, of New Richmond, was outspent nearly 3-to-1 yet pulled off a 22-vote victory in an election in which more than 34,000 votes were cast.

The election drew attention for another reason: Niehaus was backed by Senate President Doug White, whose southwest Ohio district will be represented by Niehaus if he wins as expected in November. House Speaker Larry Householder supported Schmidt in a rare reach into a race in the other chamber.

Niehaus spent $130,575, compared with $325,929 by Schmidt. Householder's campaign fund gave the maximum allowed ($2,500) to Schmidt, of suburban Cincinnati, while the Republican Senate Campaign Committee controlled by White also gave $2,500 to each candidate.

White, whose Senate tenure is up because of term limits, said he personally supported Niehaus but did not ask fellow GOP senators to follow him.

The campaigns of Reps. Gary Cates and Patty Clancy, both members of Householder's leadership team, also gave $2,500 to Schmidt. Two other members of leadership, Reps. Jim Hoops and Jon Peterson, gave $1,000 to each candidate.

Through their campaigns, Reps. Tom Raga and Tom Patton and Attorney General Jim Petro, a Householder ally, also gave to Schmidt, while Reps. Jim Carmichael and Tom Brinkman and Auditor Betty Montgomery gave to Niehaus.

The alliances were reminiscent of the 2000 primary between then-Rep. David Robinson, a protege of former Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, and Jim Hughes. Householder backed Hughes in an early test of his support to become speaker. Hughes won easily as dozens of House Republicans split their financial support between the two candidates. Robinson outspent Hughes $263,000 to $91,000.

Hughes' victory sparked a rally among returning representatives around Householder, who succeeded Davidson as speaker after she left the House because of term limits.

Householder will be gone from the House next year for the same reason and has designs on statewide office in 2006.

The Schmidt-Niehaus race wasn't the first time two sitting GOP representatives battled for a Senate seat. In 2000, then-Senate President Richard Finan anointed Rep. Jim Buchy as the successor to Sen. Robert Cupp. But Rep. Jim Jordan ran a high-energy campaign and easily defeated Buchy, despite being outspent $397,000 to $268,000.

Term limits figured in all three races and the success of Republicans in Ohio has GOP lawmakers scrambling for position for their next job. Republicans have controlled both the House and Senate for 10 years.

''I think it's the change in the political culture in Ohio. There was a group of people who thought they were going to be around for a while so people were careful about who they cut up,'' said William Binning, chairman of the political science department at Youngstown State University.

''There's a lot of risk that comes to a party that's had the success the Republicans have had,'' said Binning, who has worked on GOP campaigns.

White said lawmakers, many of whom have not tended to the careers they had before they came to Columbus, also see the trend.

''It's very definitely a part of term limits and it's part of our affluence as a party,'' White said. ''These people are going to try to find another place to go.''