Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), whose numbers took a steep drop earlier this summer, now appears to be treading water amid challenging economic times in the Buckeye State. Fourteen months before he stands for re-election his lead has grown to 10 points in a Quinnipiac Poll, but that may be more a result of Republican John Kasich's numbers settling after an announcement boost.

General Election Matchup
Strickland 46 (+3 from last poll, 7/3)
Kasich 36 (-6)
Don't Know 15 (-1)

Strickland Job Approval: 48 / 42

Though his approval number is two points higher, it's still far lower than his all time high from this February, 63 percent. And he's below the 50 percent threshold for any incumbent to feel comfortable at this point. On the economy, only 33 percent approve of his performance, while 54 percent disapprove.

Forty-three percent of voters have a favorable opinion of Strickland, compared to 34 percent who view him unfavorably. Kasich, a former Congressman and Fox News Channel host, is viewed favorably by 22 percent and unfavorably by 10 percent, with 68 percent saying they haven't heard enough.

Asked if they were satisfied with how things were going in Ohio, only 39 percent were very or somewhat satisfied, compared to 60 percent who were somewhat or very unsatisfied. On the question of whether Strickland has kept his campaign promises, 37 percent said yes, 40 percent said no.

The survey of 1,074 Ohio voters was conducted Sept. 10-13, and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.