Governor Strickland makes a campaign stop at AFL-CIO picnic

CINCINNATI - The Ohio governor's race takes center stage as thousands gather for the annual AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic at Coney Island.

Governor Ted Strickland is in a fierce fight for his re-election against former Congressman John Kasich.

Strickland wasted no time attacking his Republican challenger.

"He wants to squeeze the working middle class, he wants to expect more out of them and yet he thinks he's a special guy," Strickland.

Governor Strickland spent much of his speech criticizing Kasich's Wall Street connections and accused Kasich of hiding his tax records that show he earned $50,000 from Ohio State University for working four hours a month.

"We need transparency, we need accountability, and we need a governor in Ohio the people can trust," said Strickland.

Meanwhile Kasich is firing back with a new series of ads criticizing Strickland for Ohio's unemployment rate. His ads also show how he's working to create jobs in Ohio.

"I'll surround myself with a team of people who wake up everyday focused on what we need to do to make Ohio business friendly again," said Kasich in a TV advertisement.

A recent poll by the Columbus Dispatch shows Kasich has a 12 point lead over Strickland.