New poll says it's tied in Ohio: Who would you vote for

Jana Heigl in our Washington Bureau is reporting that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton are tied at 45 percent in Ohio according to a Suffolk University poll released Thursday. A Suffolk poll released last month showed Trump leading Clinton, 41.6 percent to 38.6 percent.

The poll of 500 likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent. The two polls show the presidential race in Ohio is extremely close.

But the poll indicates Trump is losing ground among independent voters. In last month’s poll, Trump held a 27-point advantage among independents compared to a smaller 6-point lead in the new poll.

“If Clinton takes the lead among independents, she wins Ohio,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Research Center in Boston.

The poll also showed Republican Sen. Rob Portman leading 46-to-31 percent over former Democratic governor Ted Strickland.