Three New Surveys Show Strickland Surging in Ohio

Polling out of Ohio this cycle has been brutal for the Democrats, including the state's Democratic Governor Ted Strickland, who is seeking a second term this fall. But as of late, Strickland has been on the move, per Reuters:

In the race for Ohio governor, incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland has pulled into a virtual dead heat with Republican challenger John Kasich. Kasich leads by 47 percent to 46 percent after holding a 9-point edge in August.

Reuters isn't the only organization sponsoring polling to see movement towards Strickland in the race. Even Fox News is picking up the trend:

But Republican John Kasich’s bid to unseat incumbent Democrat Gov. Ted Strickland has run into some bumps. Kasich’s lead of six points last week was cut down to 2 points, 45 percent to 43 percent, well within the poll’s margin of error.

With the Fox numbers in, but not the more favorable Reuters numbers, the sensitive Pollster.com trend estimate has caught a noticeable trend:



With Strickland firing up the base with former Obama for America campaign manager David Plouffe in tow, it would not be surprising to see more such movement in this race. And if the Democrats can hold on to the Ohio governorship, they would be in a significantly stronger position heading into redistricting and the 2012 presidential election.

[UPDATE at 4:05 PM]: A third survey, from CBS News and The New York Times, also shows a 1-point race.