Polls show toss-ups for Dems in Midwest

Hillary Clinton holds slim leads in Ohio and Illinois and trails slightly in Missouri ahead of voting Tuesday, according to newly released surveys from the left-leaning Public Policy Polling (PPP).

{mosads}Clinton, meanwhile, holds double-digit leads over Democratic presidential rival Bernie Sanders in Florida and North Carolina, which also vote on Tuesday.

Clinton tops Sanders by 5 points, 46 to 41 percent, in Ohio; 3 points, 48 to 45 percent, in Illinois; and trails by 1 point, 47 to 46 percent, in Missouri, according to the PPP polling of the open primary states.

The former secretary of State holds a much bigger lead in Southern states, besting the Independent Vermont senator by 25 points, 57 to 32 percent, in Florida, and by 19 points, 56 to 37 percent, in North Carolina.

Surveys in most states were conducted March 11 and 12, while those in North Carolina were conducted March 11-13. Clinton and Sanders faced off in a televised town hall debate Sunday night.

Other polling released Monday from Quinnipiac University found nearly identical results in Florida and Ohio, with Clinton leading by 26 points in Florida, 60 to 34 percent, and by 5 points in Ohio, 51 to 46 percent.

PPP conducted 627 interviews in Florida with a margin of error of 3.9 percent, 597 in Illinois with a margin of error of 4 percent, 839 in Missouri with a margin of error of 3.4 percent, 747 in North Carolina with a margin of error of 3.6 percent, and 502 in Ohio with a margin of error of 4.4 percent.