Quinnipiac Poll show support for Ohio Gov. John Kasich - FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather & Sports

Poll shows job approval for Kasich, but little support for 4 more years

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Posted by FOX19 Digital Media Staff - email
John Kasich John Kasich
COLUMBUS, OH (FOX19) -

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has a 42 - 35 percent job approval, the first time since his inauguration in 2011 that registered voters have given him a thumbs-up rating, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.

Gov. Kasich seems to be benefitting from high levels of satisfaction among Ohio voters with life in the Buckeye State. But the governor does not deserve a second term, voters tell the independent Quinnipiac University poll by an almost identical 43 - 36 percent margin.

All voters say 44 - 37 percent that another Republican should challenge the governor for the 2014 nomination. By 45 - 41 percent, self-described Republicans say no other Republican should challenge Kasich.

By a 40 - 34 percent margin, Ohio voters have a favorable opinion of Kasich, while 24 percent haven't heard enough about him to form an opinion. Former Gov. Ted Strickland gets a 41 - 29 percent favorability, with 29 percent who haven't heard enough.

Among other possible 2014 candidates for governor, Richard Cordray of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, the "don't know enough" scores range from 70 percent to 84 percent.

"Things are looking better for Gov. John Kasich," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "But it is not all blue skies as Gov. Kasich enters the last half of his term. His job approval rating is positive for the first time among registered voters, although he started getting positive scores in Quinnipiac University surveys of likely voters during the presidential race." 

President Barack Obama, who carried the state last month in his re-election bid, also enjoys popular support in the Buckeye State. He has a 54 - 42 job approval rating, below his all- time high of 67 - 16 percent in February of 2009, but well above his ratings the past two years that have generally been in the 40s.

The Ohio economy is getting better, 42 percent of voters say, while 19 percent say it's worse and 38 percent say it's unchanged.

Among those who say the state economy is better, 61 percent say Kasich deserves a lot or some of the credit and 58 percent say Obama deserves a lot or some of the credit.

From December 4 - 9, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,165 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.

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