Poll: Kasich's prez bid strong in Ohio, lacking in two other swing states

By Marc Kovac | June 19, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS

A new poll released Thursday offered the same results for Gov. John Kasich’s presidential prospects – that is, Kasich is well ahead of other 2016 Republican hopefuls in Ohio but at the back of the pack in two other swing states.

The governor was the lone GOP candidate in double digits in his home state, with 19 percent of those questioned by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute choosing him.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was second with 9 percent, and no other Republican candidate had more than 7 percent.

But Kasich polled at 1 percent among registered Republicans in Florida and Pennsylvania.

Bush snagged 20 percent in Florida, followed by Marco Rubio, one of that state’s U.S. senators, with 18 percent.

In Pennsylvania, Bush, Rubio, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and neurosurgeon Ben Carson were packed together with 10 percent to 12 percent support each.

“With so many Republican candidates, there is no clear leader in these key swing states in the race for the 2016 presidential nomination,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the poll, said in a statement. “Two favorite sons, former Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, are ahead in Florida and have some legs in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“Gov. John Kasich is Ohio’s hometown favorite, but he’s invisible in the other two states. Five candidates share the lead in Pennsylvania with none getting more than 12 percent of the vote. The GOP presidential race is clear as mud,” Brown said.

Quinnipiac regularly gauges the opinions of voters in Ohio and other swing states on issues and candidates. It’s latest survey included 458 Republican voters in Florida, 434 in Ohio and 413 in Pennsylvania.

The results have a margin of error of about 5 percentage points.