Former President Donald Trump is leading President Joe Biden by 12 points in Ohio in a hypothetical 2024 matchup, according to a new poll.
The Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media Ohio poll found that 50% of respondents support Trump, compared to 38% who support Biden; 12% were undecided.
Among Trump voters, 81% say they will still vote for the former president if he is convicted in a criminal trial, while 7% say they will not vote for him, the survey found.
According to the poll, Trump continues to lead the field in the Republican primary with 62% support, followed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 10%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 8%, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 6%, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 2%. 10% said they are undecided.
When independent candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein are added as ballot choices, 45% choose Trump, 31% choose Biden, 8% choose Kennedy Jr., 2% choose Stein and 1% choose West. Another 13% are undecided.
Biden holds a 32% job approval rating, while 58% disapprove of his performance as commander in chief.
"The President also holds a 20% approval rating among independent Ohio voters, compared to 70% among Democrats and 11% among Republicans," Emerson College Polling Executive Director Spencer Kimball said.
"When presented with additional independent and third-party candidates on a ballot test, Biden voters are more likely than Trump voters to move to the undecided category at 11%, compared to 4% of Trump voters," Kimball said. "Majorities of those supporting Kennedy, West, and Stein also say there is a chance they could change their mind and vote for someone else, while majorities of Biden and Trump voters say they will definitely vote for their candidate."
According to the survey, the economy is the top issue for 41% of registered Ohio voters, followed by "threats to democracy" at 9%, and abortion access, crime, housing affordability and healthcare, all at 8%. Education and immigration were the top issue for 7% each.
"Overall 8% reported abortion access as their top issue, which is similar to what we see in other state polling," Kimball said. "However, in Ohio 12% of those who report voting ‘yes’ on Issue 1 say abortion access is the top issue facing the state; based on the high turnout and majority approval of Issue 1 — abortion’s impact on elections appears understated in the generic most important issue question."
Issue 1 is a ballot initiative that sought to make the right to abortion protected by the state constitution, according to The Washington Post. It was passed by Ohio voters on Nov. 7.
The poll was conducted Nov. 10-13 and surveyed 1,000 registered Ohio voters. The credibility interval, which is similar to a margin of error, is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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