Ted Strickland Running Out of Time in Ohio Governor Race Against John Kasich

Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland has not been able to gain any ground on Republican challenger John Kasich in his bid for re-election in Ohio, with time running short and the number of voters who say they may yet change their minds dwindling, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted Oct. 12-17.

Kasich, a former Republican congressman, leads Strickland by 51 percent to 41 percent with 7 percent undecided. The margin of error is 2.8 points. Last month, Kasich's lead had been 50 percent to 41 percent.

Kasich leads Strickland by 76 percent to 13 percent among the 36 percent of Ohio voters who think the state's economy is getting worse. (Forty-five percent believe the economy will stay about the same while 19 percent say it will improve.) Voters believe by 52 percent to 38 percent that Kasich would do the better job rebuilding Ohio's economy, with the remainder undecided or saying there's no difference.

He also leads among independents by 59 percent to 32 percent with 8 percent undecided.

Twelve percent of Strickland voters say they may still change their minds, compared to 8 percent for Kasich. In Quinnipiac's Sept. 9-14 poll, that figure was 19 percent for Strickland and 11 percent for Kasich.

Strickland's job approval numbers remain in the tank, with voters disapproving of his performance as governor by a 54 percent to 39 percent margin, with 6 percent undecided.

Kasich comes out on top by 48 percent to 40 percent when voters are asked which candidate they think most shares their values. The remainder are undecided or see no difference between the two.

While nearly 6 out of 10 voters say it makes no difference either way when President Obama campaigns for Strickland, 32 percent says Obama's support makes voting for Strickland less likely while only 9 percent says it makes it more likely.

"Although it is hypothetically possible, it's difficult to see how anyone can win a statewide election when they are getting beat so badly among independents," said Quinnipiac's Peter Brown. "The race may be a dead heat among women, but it is a landslide among men. President Barack Obama's 63 percent disapproval rating among independent voters is an extremely heavy anchor around Ted Strickland's neck."

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