Progress Illinois

In recent days, there's been a rash of new polls in the remaining presidential primary states. Of particular interest are the surveys out of Pennsylvania, which show the race tightening significantly. Check out the data:

- An April 2 Morning Call poll found Clinton with an 11-point lead over Obama (49%-38%). This is down from the 14-point lead she held in the same poll on February 17 (45%-31%).

- A March 30 Strategic Vision survey gave Clinton an eight-point lead (49%-41%), down from the 18-point advantage she had in their March 9 poll (56%-38%).

- An April 1 Public Policy Polling survey found Obama in the lead by two points (43%-45%). The same shop had conducted a March 16 poll that gave Clinton a hefty 26-point edge (56%-30%).

- Four Rasmussen polls conducted over the past month have also shown steady tightening. The earliest, completed on March 5, gave Clinton a 15-point lead (52%-37%). By the most recent March 31 survey, her advantage had slimmed to 5 points (47%-42%).

While the margins vary significantly, the trends indicate that Obama is gaining ground.

Meanwhile, in our neighboring state of Indiana, the polls also show a tight race on the horizon. As Prairie State Blue noted, an April 2 Research 2000 poll found Clinton with a three-point lead (49%-46%). Two other recent polls, from ARG and Survey USA, both gave her a nine-point edge.

And in North Carolina, polls conducted in the past week or so consistently show Obama with leads in the teens.