President Trump is likely to have a big impact on Ohio’s U.S. Senate race this fall – for better and worse.
Five months before the election, a new Quinnipiac University poll shows incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown well ahead of his Republican challenger, U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, by a margin of 51-34 percent.
The polls show that among likely voters, the top issues in the Senate race are:
- Health care (28 percent)
- Economy (25)
- Immigration (15)
- Guns (14)
But more than any individual issue, nearly 60 percent of respondents said President Trump will be a factor in their Senate vote: 28 percent to show they support the president and 30 percent to show their opposition.
Very few people haven’t made up their mind when it comes to the president. On a question rating Trump’s performance, 43 percent said they approve while 54 percent said say disapprove.
The evaluations of Trump break largely along the lines of age, race and sex. White men are the only demographic that approves of his performance. Young voters aged 18-34 most strongly condemn how Trump is handling the job.
When the same question was asked of how Brown is handling his job, 55 percent approved and 29 percent disapproved. Only 16 percent of voters say they just don't know enough about him to make up their minds.
Renacci has a lot more question marks – fully half of respondents say they haven't heard enough about him.