Poll: Portman ahead of Dem challenger by 5 points in Ohio

Sen. Rob Portman (R) leads his Democratic opponent Ted Strickland by 5 points in the closely watched Ohio Senate race, a new poll released Tuesday finds.

{mosads}A new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist survey found an uptick for Portman, who now leads the former Ohio governor 48 percent to 43 percent among registered voters after the two were tied at 44 percent last month.

The tight race between Portman and Strickland has been heating up in a state President Obama won in both 2008 and 2012.

Portman has landed four endorsements from labor unions that have backed Strickland in his past elections, and the GOP senator has a significant cash advantage.

Meanwhile, Strickland has lobbed attacks at Portman for supporting past trade agreements, a position at odds with the party’s presidential nominee, Donald Trump.

The seat could be pivotal in determining which party gains control of the Senate next year. Democrats need to net five seats — or four if they keep control of the White House — to regain the majority. They are defending 10 seats while Republicans must fight for 24.

Tuesday’s poll was conducted from Aug. 3 to 7 among 889 registered voters in Ohio. The margin of error was 3.3 percentage points.