2010 Ohio Senate Election Update

A couple of bits of news today about the 2010 Ohio Senate Election to replace retiring Sen. Voinovich. 

It's turning out to be a three way primary in the Democratic side between State Rep. Tyrone Yates (as yet not declared), Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, and Lt. Governor Lee Fisher. A new Quinnipiac poll pretty much knocks Yates out of the running, but shows a pretty close dead heat between Brunner and Fisher. The poll says that Fisher is preferred at 20%, followed by Brunner at 16%, and Yates at 4%. Wah-wah.

Meanwhile, though, both Fisher and Brunner are ahead of the only announced Republican, former OMB director Rob Portman -- 42-31 in a Fisher-Portman mashup, and 40-32 in a Brunner-Portman mashup. In short: the Democrats look like they are ahead and the favorites, and Fisher holds only a slight (stastically insignificant) lead over Brunner. 

And, finally, Rep. Zack Space has endorsed Fisher, thus removing another possible name from the Democratic primary, but raising my eyebrow ... after all, someone needs to be Lt. Governor. It could also be the Dems begging Space to stay in his district (SE Ohio), as the GOP is interested in taking on the district this round. 

That's Space in the picture there. He's the best looking of those mentioned :-).