(Angus Reid Global Scan) – United States congressman Ted Strickland could become Ohio’s new governor, according to a poll by SurveyUSA released by WCPO-TV. 53 per cent of respondents in the Buckeye State would vote for the Democrat, while 37 per cent would support Republican state secretary Ken Blackwell.
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – United States congressman Ted Strickland could become Ohio’s new governor, according to a poll by SurveyUSA released by WCPO-TV. 53 per cent of respondents in the Buckeye State would vote for the Democrat, while 37 per cent would support Republican state secretary Ken Blackwell.
Libertarian candidate Bill Peirce is third with two per cent, followed by Bob Fitrakis of the Green Party with one per cent. Four per cent of respondents would support other candidates, and two per cent remain undecided.
Bob Taft—a Republican—has acted as Ohio’s governor since 1999. The former state secretary defeated Tim Hagan in the November 2002 election with 58 per cent of the vote.
In August 2005, Taft was convicted of four misdemeanour crimes after failing to report $3,500 U.S. worth of golf outings and gifts received from political and business leaders. The governor was fined $4,000 U.S. plus court costs.
On Jun. 12, Blackwell agreed to take part in a series of debates with Strickland, saying, “He threw down the gauntlet, I’m picking it up.” The Republican candidate has proposed holding five 90-minute meetings.
The election is scheduled for Nov. 7. No Democrat has won a gubernatorial election in the Buckeye State since Dick Celeste in 1986.
Polling Data
If the election for governor of Ohio were today, and you were standing in the voting booth right now, who would you vote for? Republican Ken Blackwell? Democrat Ted Strickland? Green Party candidate Bob Fitrakis? Libertarian Bill Peirce? Or some other candidate?
Ted Strickland (D) | 53% |
Ken Blackwell (R) | 37% |
Bill Peirce (L) | 2% |
Bob Fitrakis (G) | 1% |
Other | 4% |
Undecided | 2% |
Source: SurveyUSA / WCPO-TV
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 507 likely Ohio voters, conducted from Jun. 10 to Jun. 12, 2006. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.
