Strickland regains lead over Kasich

COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland has regained his lead over Republican challenger John Kasich, according to a new poll released Tuesday.

Registered voters questioned by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute preferred the Democratic incumbent, 44 percent to 39 percent. That compares with the last Quinnipiac poll in November, when voters were deadlocked on the candidates, 40 percent to 40 percent.

“There has been an improvement in voters’ views of Gov. Ted Strickland,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the institute, said in a released statement. “The movement is a few points, but it is consistent across a number of measures. Voters, however, remain negative on his handling of the state budget and the state economy.”

He added, “John Kasich remains unknown to most voters. The campaign will be a race by the candidates to define Kasich to the 62 percent of voters who don’t know enough about him to have an opinion.”

The Connecticut-based polling institute regularly gauges Ohioans’ views on candidates and issues.

It questioned 1,662 voters over the past week. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

Respondents continued to give low marks to President Barack Obama, with 52 percent disapproving of the way he has handled the presidency.

Only 39 percent approve of his handling of the economy.

Fifty-six percent of Ohioans oppose the current health-care reform package backed by the president, though 53 percent said Obama and Congress should keep working to pass health-care reform.

On the plus side, 55 percent approved of Obama’s decision to send 30,000 additional troops into Afghanistan.

“Given that President Obama carried the state with more than 51 percent of the vote, these numbers mean Ohioans who were in his corner have now deserted him,” Brown said.

Other survey results included:

UForty-eight percent of Ohioans approve of the overall job Strickland is doing as governor, up from 45 percent in November. Forty percent disapprove versus 43 percent in November.

UA total of 53 percent of Ohioans disapprove of the way Strickland is handling the economy, while 45 percent believe he has not kept his campaign promises.

UForty-one percent of those polled believe Kasich would do a better job rebuilding the state’s economy, while 42 percent said the Republican would do a better job handling the state budget.

mkovac@dixcom.com