Once a swing state, does Ohio have any shades of purple left?
A recent poll conducted by the Bowling Green State University Democracy and Public Policy Research Network indicates that next year’s midterm elections in Ohio might be competitive.
Polling Details
The poll surveyed 800 registered Ohio voters last month. Results show former Sen. Sherrod Brown and current Sen. Jon Husted are running neck and neck for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat. In the gubernatorial race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy holds a slim lead over former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton and former U.S. Representative Ryan, who has not yet declared his candidacy. All results fall within a 4.5% margin of error.
“Ohio will certainly be on many people's minds this time next year,” said Robert Alexander, professor of political science at BGSU and one of the poll’s researchers.
Voter Sentiment and Economy
Historically, the president’s party tends to lose ground in midterm elections. The poll reveals that President Donald Trump’s approval rating has declined among Ohio voters.
“That might explain a little bit of what we’re seeing here,” Alexander commented.
Ohio voters are particularly dissatisfied with the state of the economy.
“A year ago, this was the big question: Who's going to bring down the price of eggs? And today, we see that 56% of all Ohioans are looking at the state of the country's economy and not feeling better about it than they did a year ago.”
Author’s Summary
Ohio’s midterm races remain highly contested amid growing voter concern over economic issues and falling approval for the president's party.