Florida voters say they want a Democrat in the White House, but Republican John McCain has a narrow lead in the Sunshine State, the latest Quinnipiac University swing state poll, released Tuesday, shows.

By a 44-39 percent margin, Florida voters said they prefer a Democrat, but McCain leads 47-43 percent, a turnaround from the Obama lead, 46-44 percent, in the July 31 poll.

In Ohio, Obama leads McCain 44-43 percent but voters in that state say they prefer a Democrat, 44-35 percent, down from a 46-44 percent Obama lead in the last poll.

Pennsylvania voters gave Obama a 7-point lead, 49-42 percent over McCain, the same difference as last poll, but Pennsylvania voters are rooting for the generic Democratic ticket 50-32 percent.

No one has been elected president since 1960 without taking two of these three largest swing states in the Electoral College, the poll takers noted.

"Sen. Obama needs to close the sale with voters who want a Democrat, but because of Sen. McCain's strength at this point, they don't want this Democrat," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"Eight weeks ago, Sen. Barack Obama was on top in all three of these key swing states and that would make his election almost a sure thing. Times have changed and the election is now very much a toss-up in these states. Sen. Obama needs this convention to give his campaign a jump start," said Brown.

The poll was taken Aug. 17 - 24. The university surveyed 1,069 Florida likely voters with a margin of error of 3 percent;  1,234 Ohio likely voters with a margin of error of 2.8 percent; 1,234 Pennsylvania likely voters with a margin of error of 2.8 percent.

Click here to see the Quinnipiac University poll.