OH: Democrats Hold Small Leads

A new Ohio Poll finds the Democratic nominees in both the senator and governor's races to be slightly ahead of their Republican rivals.

In the governor's race, incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leads former Rep. John Kasich (R) 49% to 44% in his re-election effort. This is a six-point improvement for Strickland from a Rasmussen poll taken three weeks ago.

In the senate race, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) edges former Rep. Rob Portman (R) 47% to 46%. This race seems more and more like the best pick-up opportunity for Democrats in what is expected to be a year full of losses for them in the Senate.

In fact, offsetting Republican gains with a win here could help them hold on to a majority.