Gov. John Kasich has a wide double-digit lead over Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald, according to a new poll from the University of Akron.
The school’s Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics shows the Republican incumbent up 40 percent to 21 percent over the Cuyahoga County executive.
When voters leaning toward a particular candidate are factored in, it’s still a 19-point spread, with Kasich at 46 percent and FitzGerald at 27 percent.
The best news for Democrats came farther down the ticket — and not in the contest you might expect. While the party has hopes of unseating Republican State Treasurer Josh Mandel, the fights for auditor and secretary of state are much closer.
The survey of 600 registered voters — conducted late last month but released to the public late Monday — is the first independent measure of the gubernatorial race since a series of character issues and other woes besieged FitzGerald’s campaign.
FitzGerald recently decided to shift his campaign resources and strategy toward the Ohio Democratic Party’s field operation. It’s a decision many view as an acknowledgement of his dwindling chances and desire to keep down-ballot Democrats from also tumbling. But with 23 percent of voters undecided about the top of the ticket, FitzGerald press secretary Lauren Hitt said the move is justified.
Voters gave Kasich the edge on every issue they said was most important to them, including the economy. The Akron pollsters also asked which personal trait was most important to voters. Fifty-five percent of respondents chose “honesty and integrity” — and of those voters, 55 percent favor Kasich, 23 percent FitzGerald.
That last result suggests that reports that FitzGerald drove for years without a permanent driver’s license could be hurting his standing with voters. The former Lakewood mayor and FBI agent also has faced questions about a 2012 encounter in which police in suburban Westlake found him parked in a secluded lot at 4:30 a.m. with a woman who was not his wife. On Monday, the Ohio State Troopers Association withdrew its endorsement of FitzGerald, citing the license issue.
For Democrats, the poll’s most encouraging takeaway might be in the race for secretary of state. Republican incumbent Jon Husted leads State Sen. Nina Turner, 30 percent to 25 percent — with 45 percent of voters undecided.
Turner’s race has not gotten the attention others have in the weeks since FitzGerald’s stumbles. Party insiders have talked more excitedly about their prospects against Mandel in the race for treasurer and against Auditor Dave Yost.
Mandel leads State Rep. Connie Pillich, 34 percent to 25 percent, with 41 percent undecided. Yost leads State Rep. John Patrick Carney, 26 percent to 22 percent. But more than half of voters — 52 percent — remain undecided in that contest.
The race for attorney general is more lopsided. Republican incumbent Mike DeWine leads David Pepper, 41 percent to 22 percent, with 37 percent undecided.
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