Public Policy Polling just released an Ohio survey showing Sen. Obama with a big lead over Sen. McCain, 50-39. While this is tremedous news, PPP also polled potential 2010 Senate match-ups below the fold which are probably of great interest here.
George Voinovich approvals:
Approve 31%
Disapprove 39%
31% approval for an incumbent and a long-time Ohio political figure (he was also Mayor of Cleveland then Governor)? That is bad. But it gets better.
In a potential 2010 Senate race between Sen. Voinovich and Rep. Tim Ryan:
Sen. George Voinovich 33%
Rep. Tim Ryan 33%In a potential 2010 Senate race between Sen. Voinovich and Rep. Betty Sutton:
Sen. George Voinovich 37%
Rep. Betty Sutton 32%
I realize 2010 is a long ways away, but these are awful numbers for Voinovich. He is at 33 percent and tied with Tim Ryan, and barely ahead of Betty Sutton who is serving her first term in Sherrod Brown’s old seat. I am not sure why PPP only polled Reps. Ryan and Sutton, and not Reps. Wilson and Space, but I figure as this was primarily a presidential poll, they did not want to ask a lot of Senate 2010 questions.
Voinovich is clearly vulnerable as things stand. If the rumors about Ryan going for the Senate in 2010 are true, the incumbent could be endangered.
Though I would quickly add that the poll is skewed to the Democrats, as the cross-tabs show it is made up of 55% Democrats, 30% Republicans, and the rest indies.