The new Quinnipiac poll of the Ohio Senate race gives Democratic Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher a narrow lead over Republican former Rep. Rob Portman, in the race for the open GOP-held seat of retiring Sen. George Voinovich. And in a key internal figure, both candidates remain virtual unknowns with the wider electorate.
The numbers: Fisher 42%, Portman 40%. The survey of registered voters has a ±3% margin of error. In the previous poll from late April, Fisher led by a similar figure of 40%-37%. The TPM Poll Average has Fisher leading Portman by 44.3%-41.9%. This race is one of the major toss-ups of the cycle, with Vice President Joe Biden in Cleveland today to raise money for Fisher.
From the pollster’s analysis: “The Senate race remains far, far from any kind of clear picture, mostly because neither candidate is well known to Ohioans. Even though Fisher has been a figure in Ohio politics for two decades, 54 percent of voters say they don’t know enough about him to form an opinion. For Portman, 66 percent can’t rate him. With four months until Election Day the Senate race is wide, wide open.”
