A new poll by an Ohio NBC news affiliate has Republican Mike Crites well within striking distance.

From the Crites campaign:

A new poll issued by Ohio NBC news affiliates shows that Republican candidate Mike Crites is rapidly closing the gap in the race for Ohio Attorney General.  The poll shows Crites down by only eight points.

“Ohioans want an Attorney General with the leadership experience to repair the damage caused by Marc Dann and his enablers,” Crites said.  “My record shows that I’m the only candidate with that kind of leadership experience.”

A Quinnipiac poll issued in mid-August had Crites trailing opponent Richard Cordray by 18 points.  A September 15 poll (also commissioned by Ohio NBC news affiliates) showed down by 11 points.  This latest poll has Crites down by only eight.

Get the rest of the release after the jump…

Mike Crites has been aggressively campaigning to get out his message of leadership and integrity.  In the last two weeks, Crites has been traveling the state, garnering news coverage nearly every day, and also started a statewide TV campaign.  His ads are running on TV in every major media market in Ohio (click here to watch the ad).

Crites said the poll numbers not only prove that Ohio voters are responding to his message but also demonstrate Cordray’s vulnerability.  Crites is a 21-year career prosecutor and a newcomer to statewide elective politics.  His opponent, current State Treasurer Richard Cordray, has run eight times for six different offices in the past 18 years, including three statewide offices.

Crites recalled a 1994 Gallup poll in which incumbent Democrat Attorney General Lee Fisher held a 17-point lead over Republican challenger Betty Montgomery in her first bid for statewide office.  The poll was conducted just over a month before the election.  Montgomery went on to win the race in a stunning upset.

“Voters won’t be fooled by a career politician,” Crites said.  “Fundraising continues to be a top priority for us, but Betty Montgomery showed us you can be outspent by your opponent and still win,” Crites said.

Crites has a 21-year record of public service as a federal, state, and local prosecutor.  He was appointed in 1986 to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio by then-President Ronald Reagan, a position he held until 1993.  In this role he was responsible for all federal law enforcement in 48 of 88 Ohio counties. A decorated U.S. Navy Captain, Crites was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame and is a veteran of the Vietnam War.  At the peak of his Navy career he helped manage 7,300 personnel.