COLUMBUS, Ohio — Democratic candidates Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton hold narrow leads in Ohio’s U.S. Senate and governor’s races, but the differences are small enough that the contests remain statistically uncertain, according to a poll released Oct. 8. The New York Times and Siena Research Institute survey found Brown leading Republican Jon Husted, 49% to 46%, in the Senate contest. In the governor’s race, Acton led Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, 49% to 45%. The poll surveyed 616 Ohio voters from Sept. 22 through Oct. 1. Its margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, meaning neither candidate’s lead establishes a clear advantage. The poll’s respondents identified as 34% Republican, 30% Democratic, 32% independent and 4% another party or declined to answer. Both races are among a small group of contests nationwide classified as toss-ups by the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Early voting is underway, and Election Day is Nov. 3. The survey also found differences in candidates’ favorability ratings. Acton had a net favorability rating of 45%, compared with 41% for Ramaswamy. Brown’s net rating was 46%, while Husted’s was 37%. The poll reported that Acton and Brown did better among younger and nonwhite voters, while Ramaswamy and Husted were favored by men and white voters. Economic concerns dominated voters’ priorities: 23% named the economy, jobs and the stock market as their most important issue. Inflation and the cost of living came next at 9%, followed by immigration at 7%. The poll also measured dissatisfaction with state and national leadership. Nearly half of respondents, 48%, said Ohio was headed in the wrong direction, while 37% said it was on the right track. A majority, 51%, said they strongly disapproved of President Donald Trump’s job performance. The results add to a series of surveys showing close Ohio races, but polling is not a forecast of the final outcome. In October 2024, a Times-Siena poll showed Brown and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris ahead in Ohio; Republican Bernie Moreno and Trump went on to win the state that November.