Strickland has slim lead in Ohio Senate poll

Ohio's 2016 Senate race has gotten a tiny bit tighter.

A new poll released on Monday shows Ted Strickland, Ohio's former Democratic governor, with a 6-point lead over Republican Sen. Rob Portman.

In a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, 46% of voters said they would support Strickland, while 40% said they would back Portman. In an April poll by Quinnipiac, Strickland held a 9-point lead.

The new poll also showed little payoff so far for P.G. Sittenfeld's efforts to introduce himself to voters across Ohio. The Cincinnati City councilman is battling Strickland for the Democratic nomination, but he is still not well-known outside of Queen City.

About 85% of Ohio voters surveyed said they did not know enough about Sittenfeld to have an opinion of him. And Portman would easily beat Sittenfeld if the election were held now — winning 49% to 24%, the poll found.

Ohio voters also gave Republican Gov. John Kasich high approval marks—with 60% saying they like how he is handling his job.

"Kasich remains a political icon," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll.

Kasich's strong showing comes as he is considering a run for president. Brown said Kasich's popularity in Ohio could help Portman in the 2016 race, if Kasich is at the top of the ticket.

Portman's favorability rating was at 43% in this poll, and while 47% of voters had a favorable view of Strickland.

Quinnipiac University polled 1,191 Ohio voters from June 4-15. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

The 2016 Ohio race could be one of the most competitive and expensive in the country. With Ohio a political bellwether, the Senate contest could help determine which party controls the Senate in 2017.