Wednesday, September 13, 2006

CQ rating change portends trouble for GOP in Ohio

Congressional Quarterly's elections forecast has been updated with new ratings on statewide elections in Ohio, and the new ratings reflect the good chances Democrats have to win a statewide office for the first time since 1992 when Senator John Glenn was re-elected to his last term. In the race for Ohio governor, CQ has changed its rating from "No clear favorite" to "Leans Democratic", reflecting the big leads in polling and cash that Democrat Ted Strickland has over Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell. CQ has also changed its rating on Ohio's Senate race to "No clear favorite" from "Leans Republican" reflecting the very close contest between two-term Republican incumbent Mike DeWine and Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown. What a change from two years ago when Republican incumbent Senator George Voinovich defeated his Democratic challenger, State Senator Eric Fingerhut, by 30 percentage points, in the process carrying every single county in Ohio.

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