The Senate race in the critical swing state of Ohio remains locked in a dead heat, according to a new poll out Wednesday.
Both Republican Sen. Rob Portman and Democratic former Gov. Ted Strickland earned 42 percent of the vote in the Quinnipiac University survey.
These figures are virtually unchanged from last month’s poll, which found Strickland with 43 percent of the vote to Portman’s 42 percent, even as millions of dollars have poured into the fiercely contested race.
Ohio could help determine which party retains control of the Senate. The GOP currently holds 54 seats, while Democrats have 45 as well as the vote of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who caucuses with their party.
The Buckeye State’s Senate contest has received more dark money than any other congressional race this cycle, according to the nonpartisan Open Secrets watchdog group, with outside groups spending some $15.5 million on both candidate’s bids to date.
The Quinnipiac survey of 971 Ohio voters was conducted by phone from June 8-19. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
