Democrat Ted Strickland's marginal lead in the polls going into summer has eroded to a deficit more recently, as voters grow more skeptical of state and national economic recovery efforts.
In campaign ads, Kasich has attempted to tie the governor to the loss of 400 thousand jobs in Ohio since he took office in 2006. Kasich claims he'll make Ohio more business friendly through tax cuts and less regulation. He's proposed scrapping the state Development Department and creating a private non-profit to spur new business activity. He's also rolled out plans to cut red tape in government and streamline job training programs. He's distanced himself from an earlier proposal to eliminate the state income tax.
Strickland has tried to make Kasich's stint with Lehman Brothers a liability that connects him with Wall Street. Strickland says economic development should remain a state function, and has ridiculed Kasich for what he calls "CSI" - copying Strickland's ideas, in other proposals. Strickland has been travelling the state a lot lately, appearing at ribbon-cuttings, ground-breakings, corporate openings - events he can claim as a sign of progress in an economic recovery that's tepid at best.
Strickland and Kasich will meet in their first face-to-face debate tonight in Columbus. 90.3 and WVIZ PBS will broadcast the debate live, beginning at 8pm.