Strickland maintains lead in latest polls

The latest Rasmussen Reports poll in the Ohio race for governor, released today, found U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, leading by at least 10 percentage points against either Republican candidate.

In the March 15 survey of 500 Ohio voters, Strickland led Secretary of State Ken Blackwell 50 percent to 40 percent. Strickland led Attorney General Jim Petro by 47 percent to 34 percent. Blackwell and Petro face each other in a May 2 primary election.

Strickland has been steadily gaining ground, according to the independent poll. Rasmussen's February survey found Strickland leading Petro by 7 percentage points. In January, Strickland led Petro by by just 5 percentage points. This month, his margin over Petro had widened to 13 percentage points.

In January, Strickland had a 4-percentage point lead over Blackwell. By February, the Democrat's lead over Blackwell had widened to 12 percentage points. However, Blackwell recovered two points in the latest Rasmussen survey.

Strickland had both the highest favorable rating and also the highest percentage of those unsure of what to think of him. He is viewed favorably by 54 percent of likely voters and unfavorably by 28 percent, according to the survey.

Petro is viewed favorably by 41 percent and unfavorably by 46 percent. Blackwell is viewed favorably by 46 percent and unfavorably by 44 percent.

Strickland's lead was narrower in a Wall Street Journal/Zogby poll. That poll found Strickland leading Blackwell 45.6 percent to 41.3 percent. Petro received just 30.5 percent.

That's a reversal from January, when the WSJ-Zogby poll found Blackwell leading Strickland by roughly the same margin, 45.9 percent to 41.4 percent.

The WSJ-Zogby surveys had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.