The story of Paul Hackett's withdrawal from the U.S. Senate race in Ohio was a major event in the blogosphere and among political activists. But, just 18% of Ohio voters followed the story very closely. Another 22% said they followed it somewhat closely while 23% said they didn't follow the news on this topic at all.

Overall, 29% of the state's voters agree with Hackett and say he was betrayed by party leaders. Fifteen percent (15%) say he was not, but a majority of voters (55%) have no opinion on the topic. Among Democrats, 31% say he was betrayed and 24% say he was not.

Following Hackett's withdrawal, Republican Senator Mike DeWine has gained ground in his campaign for re-election. DeWine now leads Democratic Congressman Sherrod Brown by nine percentage points, 46% to 37% (see crosstabs).

A month ago, DeWine was ahead by five points, 45% to 40%.

Brown's support among Democrats has fallen from 77% in January to 69% this month. Next month's Ohio election poll will provide a hint as to whether this is just a temporary hiccup in the wake of the Hackett withdrawal or an ongoing problem for the Democrats' likely nominee.

The survey also found that 33% of Ohio voters believe the withdrawal of Hackett will make it harder for Democrats to win this seat in November. Seventeen percent (17%) believe it will make victory easier to obtain. Democrats are evenly divided on this point.

Fifty-four percent (54%) of Ohio voters believe DeWine will be re-elected while 29% expect Brown to defeat the incumbent. Republicans overwhelmingly expect a DeWine victory while Democrats are evenly divided.

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