Vance holds narrow lead over Ryan in Ohio Senate race: poll

Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance currently has a narrow 2-point lead over his Democratic challenger, Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio), according to a new USA Today-Suffolk University poll. 

The poll, published on Monday, found that 47 percent of respondents said they’ll vote for Vance, while 45 percent of those surveyed offered their support for Ryan. 

Eighty-nine percent of Republican respondents indicated they’ll vote for Vance, a venture capitalist and author, while 5 percent of Republicans surveyed said they will cast their votes for Ryan. 

Ninety-two percent of Democratic respondents said they’ll vote for Ryan, who is currently serving his fifth term representing Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, in next month’s election, while 7 percent said they will cast their vote for his opponent. 

Among independent respondents, 44 percent said they’ll vote for Ryan, while 41 percent said they’ll vote for Vance, according to the poll. 

Forty-seven percent of respondents said they have a favorable opinion of Ryan, while 38 percent have an unfavorable opinion of the lawmaker. 

Forty-seven percent of those surveyed said they have a favorable opinion of Vance, while 41 percent think otherwise, the poll said. 

The Vance-Ryan contest is one of several races in November’s midterm elections that could decide who controls the Senate next year. Vance and Ryan are vying to fill the seat of Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who announced last year his plans to retire.

The USA Today-Suffolk University poll was conducted from Oct. 11 to Oct. 15, with a total of 500 respondents participating in the survey. The poll’s margin of error was 4.4 percentage points.