Hillary Clinton kept her hopes for winning the Democratic Presidential nomination alive with a big win in the Ohio Primary just over a week ago. But, the first general election poll conducted since that Primary shows John McCain has gained ground in the Buckeye State.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Ohio shows John McCain leading both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama by identical 46% to 40% margins. In the last poll conducted before the hard fought Democratic Primary, McCain had a statistically insignificant one-point lead over Obama and a three-point edge over Clinton.

McCain leads Clinton by twenty-one points among men but trails by seven among women. The Republican leads Obama by sixteen among men and trails by four among women in that match-up.

Nationally, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll shows McCain in a very competitive race with both Clinton and Obama. While the Democratic Nomination contest grinds on and gets nastier, Michigan and Pennsylvania have also shifted slightly in McCain’s direction (see summary of other recent state polls). The Democratic divisions are just one reason that John McCain may be the luckiest man on the planet since Ringo Starr.

Among Ohio voters who believe that American society is generally fair and decent, McCain leads Clinton by twenty points and Obama by twenty-four. Among those who believe American society is generally unfair and discriminatory, McCain trails Clinton by twenty-four and Obama by thirty-two.

Overall, 61% of Ohio voters believe that society is generally fair and decent while 25% have the opposite view.

In Ohio, just 16% of voters rate the economy as good or excellent while 50% say it’s in poor shape. Only 8% say the economy is getting better while 78% say it is getting worse.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of Ohio voters believe the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That’s a bit more optimistic than the national average. A modest plurality of Ohio voters expect the situation in Iraq to improve over the next six months.

Forty-five percent (45%) of Ohio voters say Governor Ted Strickland is doing a good or an excellent job while just 17% say he is doing a poor job.

President Bush receives much lower grades—35% say he is doing a good or excellent job while 47% say poor.

Ohio’s 20 Electoral College Votes remain as a Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator. This Calculator provides a daily update of Electoral College projections by aggregating data from a variety of sources including the latest Rasmussen Reports poll in a state, an average of the latest polling from other firms, Rasmussen Markets data, Intrade market data, analyst ratings and more.

Rasmussen Markets data just prior to the release of this poll showed that Democrats are modestly favored to carry Ohio in the general election (current prices: Democrat % Republican %). Overall, among Democrats, the Markets give Obama a % chance to win the nomination while expectations for a Clinton victory are at %. Numbers in this paragraph are from a prediction market, not a poll. Using a trading format where traders "buy and sell" candidates, issues, and news features, the Rasmussen Markets harness competitive passions to provide a reliable leading indicator of upcoming events. We invite you to participate in the Rasmussen Markets. It costs nothing to join and add your voice to the collective wisdom of the market.

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