COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The race for governor may be a year away, but the battle already has heated up between Governor Ted Strickland and Republican challenger John Kasich.
It will be a head-to-head race for the two candidates.
If the election were held today, 40 percent would choose Strickland and 40 percent would vote for Kasich, according to the latest Quinnipiac University survey.
But there are factors working against both gubernatorial candidates that could swing the numbers either way.
Ohio State professor Paul Beck said the factor working against Strickland is the economy.
"Governors either have to cut their budgets or raise their taxes or a combination of those two things, and none of that is popular," Beck said.
Strickland's approval rating slid from 48 percent in September to 45 percent this month, the survey said.
Challenger John Kasich may be head-to-head with Strickland now, but Beck said that may be because he's the only alternative.
Kasich was a U.S. Representative and a presidential candidate back in 2000.
Beck said the factor working against Kasich is the fact that he's not well known across the state.
"For most Ohio voters, he's a name and maybe a face, but there's not much content to him," Beck said.
Beck said it's too early to make any solid predictions based on the latest poll numbers because voter opinions can change drastically in a year.
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