Ohio Senator Mike DeWine has eked out a narrow lead over both potential Democratic opponents in his re-election effort, but the race remains hotly competitive.

The Republican incumbent enjoys an edge of 43% to 39% over Cincinnati-area lawyer Paul Hackett, and 45% to 40% over Congressman Sherrod Brown. Rasmussen Reports polling in mid-November and early December showed DeWine neck and neck with both contenders. Hackett then led DeWine by a single percentage point, while Brown trailed him by just two. The margin of sampling error in each of the polls is +/- 4.5 points.

Brown and Hackett appeal to many of the same constituencies, and especially those who think the President is doing a poor job in Iraq. In prospective contests with DeWine, Brown wins the support of 77% of those who believe President Bush is doing a poor job waging the war; Hackett wins 78%.

Hackett has had to cope with on-again, off-again support from Democratic party leaders. Brown had initially decided to abstain from a Senate run but then threw his hat in the ring after all. Hackett, who drew national attention for a narrowly lost bid for Congress against Jean Schmidt, insists he'll remain in the race regardless of any pressure from fellow Democrats to cede the field to the more politically experienced Brown.

A related survey shows Democrat Ted Strickland leading in the race to become Ohio's next Governor.

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In recent weeks, President Bush seems to have checked the decline in public support for the Iraq war, which would tend to benefit Senator DeWine. Since early December, the percentage who believe it is more important to finish the mission in Iraq than to withdraw has grown a bit, rising from 44% to 48%.

But having yet to reach 50% support for his candidacy, DeWine remains a vulnerable incumbent. This is especially true if perceptions worsen of the situation in Iraq or one of the Democrats emerges as a clear favorite well before the May primary.

Visit our Election Polls page to see a summary of our latest state-by state polling. Rasmussen Reports is polling every Senate and Governors' race at least once a month this year.

Crosstabs are available for Premium Members. See results by Party, Ideology, Gender, Age, Priority in Iraq, and more.