Ohio Senate Race Shaping Up as a Tight One

Republican Rob Portman, a former congressman and cabinet member, faces a tight race with either of two Democrats he is matched up against for the Ohio Senate seat being vacated by GOP incumbent George Voinovich, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Sept. 23.

Portman is statistically tied with Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, leading 41 percent to 40 percent with 6 percent preferring some other candidate and 14 percent undecided. The same is true if the Democratic candidate is Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, with Portman leading 40 percent to 38 percent with 5 percent preferring someone else and 18 percent undecided. The margin of error is 4.5 points.

All the hopefuls have some work to do getting better known. Thirty-two percent don't know enough about Portman to have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of him, while 24 percent have no opinion of Fisher and 28 percent don't know about Brunner.