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Democratic activists in early presidential nominating states say that new controversies swirling around Hillary Rodham Clinton have made them more eager than ever for alternatives in 2016.

The undercurrent of anxiety about Clintons vulnerabilities has grown in recent days with potentially damaging news of foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation and the former secretary of states use of private e-mail accounts to conduct official business.

But as they survey the landscape, few Democrats see other credible contenders.

The problem is, theres nobody out there whos not Clinton whos the equivalent of Barack Obama, said Larry Drake, chairman of the Portsmouth Democrats in New Hampshire. He was a fresh face ... and he gave great speeches and he turned out to be electable.

The angst among Democrats offers new evidence that opportunities remain for other candidates despite Clintons commanding lead in early polls. H. Boyd Brown, a member of the Democratic National Committee from South Carolina who supports former Maryland governor Martin OMalley, said Clinton will not wear well as Democrats are exposed to a continuing drumbeat of press scrutiny.

Hillary Clintons private e-mail address that she used while secretary of state reinforces everything people dont like about her, argues The Posts Chris Cillizza, and is very dangerous to her presidential ambitions. (The Washington Post)

Nobody down here wants a coronation, Brown said. We need options. Who knows what could happen. Its always good to have more than one candidate running.

Those arent some tabloid scandals, he said of the Clinton controversies. Those are job-related, national-security-related issues that matter.

[Questions are mounting over Clintons use of a private e-mail account]

As he heads to New Hampshire this weekend, OMalley is accelerating efforts to try to step into that breach. But in South Carolina last weekend and through a spokeswoman this week, OMalley again declined to talk about Clinton or articulate why Democrats who have already lined up behind her should start taking a closer look at him.

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Amid Clinton controversies, Democrats seek alternative