Poll: GOP Challenger Likely To Give Ohio Gov. Strickland Tough Re-Election Bid

Kris Alingod - AHN Contributor
Columbus, OH (AHN) - Next year's gubernatorial race in Ohio will likely be competitive, according to a new poll that says Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's approval ratings have fallen, and is now statistically tied with Republican and former Rep. John Kasich.
According to a Public Policy Polling survey to be released on Tuesday, 43 percent of voters approve of the governor's job performance, while 42 percent disapprove.
A similar poll in January had Strickland's approval at a 48 to 35 percent ratio. In addition, Republican disapproval for the governor has risen from 59 percent to 72 percent.
Strickland has 44 percent support among voters, statistically the same level of support as Kasich, who has 42 percent. Early this year, the margin between the two candidates was 45 to 39 percent.
Significant is the independent support for Kasich, who launched his campaign early this month. Among these voters, the Republican has a 21-point lead over the governor.
Despite his gains, it appears Kasich still has yet to reach many voters. Asked if they have a favorable or unfavorable view of the former congressman, 39 percent said they were "not sure," while 30 percent chose unfavorable.
The survey was conducted among 619 Ohio voters from June 17 to 19. The margin of error is 3.9 percent.
Strickland, who assumed office in 2007 after winning 60 percent of the vote against GOP nominee Ken Blackwell, has not formally announced his bid for re-election but is expected to do so in the coming weeks.
Kasich, 57, left Congress in 2001. He was in the House for nine terms, becoming chairman of the Budget Committee in his last two. He also served in the Ohio State Legislature from 1979 to 1982.


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