GOP race tight in Ohio; Clinton leads Dems

Published 10:50 am Wednesday, March 9, 2016

A new poll shows a tight race on the Republican side for next week’s presidential primary in Ohio.

A survey by Public Policy Polling, taken from March 4 to 6, showed real estate tycoon and reality TV star Donald Trump leading Ohio Gov. John Kasich, 38 to 35 percent, within the poll’s margin of error of +/- 3.9 percent. About 15 percent of voters backed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and 5 percent supported U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.

Kasich, in his second term as the state’s chief executive, has been hoping for a home state win to reinvigorate his campaign and halt Trump’s delegate lead.

Email newsletter signup

In head-to-head matches, Kasich would beat Trump, 55 to 40 percent, with Rubio voters moving to Kasich, 75 to 16 percent.

“Donald Trump has a slight advantage in Ohio,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. “But John Kasich’s strong advantage over him when you match them head to head may end up propelling him to victory if Cruz and Rubio voters decide to cast strategic votes for the only viable alternative if they want to #StopTrump.”

On the Democratic side, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton enjoyed a more confortable lead over U.S. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, 56 to 35 percent.