Ohio Sen. Rob Portman has opened up a huge lead over former Gov. Ted Strickland with just two months until Election Day, according to a new poll.
According to the latest Bloomberg poll, Portman now leads Strickland by a whopping 17 points, 53-36, as Strickland has seen his poll numbers suffer over the past couple of weeks. It’s also the second poll in a week to show Portman up by double digits. A Quinnipiac poll last week showed Portman up by 11 points.
The new poll marks a new high-water point for Portman, who was thought to be fighting in one of the toughest Senate contests of the year only a few months back.
The Ohio Republican has been roundly lauded by Republicans for his campaign thus far, having showed off his fundraising prowess and his organizational strength throughout. He has also been buoyed by Strickland, who has made notable gaffes and has been on the receiving end of attacks on his gubernatorial tenure.
Strickland was attacked over his use of the “rainy day” fund in his state, and made news when he told union workers that the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died “at a good time” because of a vote he otherwise would have cast in March in a union case.
Portman is not the only Republican succeeding in Ohio, according to the survey. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump also leads former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by a 5-point margin. Trump currently holds 48 percent support to Clinton’s 43 percent.
According to the latest RealClearPolitics average, Portman leads the former governor by a 10.3 percent margin.
