Two polls put Clinton ahead in Ohio

Hillary Clinton is ahead of Barack Obama in the Buckeye State heading into next week’s presidential primary, according to two polls.

Also, one poll shows a statistical dead heat in Ohio for the general election in match-ups between John McCain, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, and Clinton and Obama.

Obama is gaining on Clinton in a Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll released Monday, but still trails by 11 percentage points. Clinton is leading 51 percent to 40 percent among likely Ohio Democratic voters who will cast ballots in next Tuesday’s primary.

This compares to a 55 percent to 34 percent lead in a Feb. 14 poll by the institute, based in Hamden, Conn.

“Clinton’s lead remains substantial, but the trend line should be worrisome for her in a state that even her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has said she must win,” said Peter Brown, the institute’s assistant director. “A week is an awful long time in politics to be playing defense.”

Read more in Tuesday’s Vindicator and at Vindy.com