From BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY
The Democracy and Public Policy Network in the Department of Political Science at Bowling Green State University has released the results of its latest web-based poll, conducted from April 7 – 14, with insight from 1,000 registered Ohio voters.
Topics covered in the April poll include:
- The president’s approval rating
- Ohio governor and senate races
- Sentiment on property tax reductions, data centers, Ohio government consolidation, Iran, the economy, tariffs, the state of democracy, and other policies
The nonpartisan poll has an overall margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points, and the weighted sample reflects a recalled presidential vote of +11 for President Trump in the 2024 presidential race.
President Trump’s approval remains underwater, with concerns over economy, Iran and state of democracy in the United States
“While Donald Trump has won the state handily three times, we see a lot of trouble brewing for him and his policies in the state. He has had a negative approval rating for a year now and many of his policies are not popular. That about 15% of his voters now regret their vote to some degree suggests his grip on the state is not absolute,” said Robert Alexander, professor of political science at BGSU.
When asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?” 45% of respondents strongly disapproved, 7% somewhat disapproved, 21% somewhat approved, and 25% strongly approved, while 2% were not sure.
When asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Mike DeWine is handling his job as Ohio governor?” 24% of respondents strongly disapproved, 29% somewhat disapproved, 33% somewhat approved, and 7% strongly approved, while 6% were not sure.
Governor and Senate races are in statistical dead heats
“Every sign is pointing to close races for governor and U.S. Senate in Ohio. President Trump is generally unpopular, Democrats are far more enthusiastic, and the economy is a major concern for voters. Taken together, this midterm likely provides the best opportunity for Democrats to win statewide offices in 20 years,” Alexander said.
He continued, “Our findings strongly suggest that Ohio will be stepping back into purple state territory this fall, with close races for both the U.S. Senate and governor. Both races are consequential given the partisan makeup of the U.S. Senate and the Ohio legislature. Changes at the margins could have long-term effects that will be felt for many years to come.”
When asked, “Who would you vote for in Ohio’s 2026 governor’s race?” 48% of respondents chose Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, 47% chose Democrat Amy Acton, and 5% responded “someone else.”
When asked, “Who would you vote for in Ohio’s 2026 U.S. Senate race?” 50% of respondents chose Republican Jon Husted, 47% chose Democrat Sherrod Brown, and 3% chose “someone else.”
Ohio primary voters largely undecided
“Currently, ‘not sure’ is the clear winner in down ballot primaries in Ohio. It will be critical for these candidates to activate their ground games and familiarize themselves to primary voters in the closing weeks in order to win their respective party’s nominations,” Alexander said.
Support for property tax reductions shows big changes with more information
“If the elimination of property taxes makes the November ballot, voters will be bombarded with information to persuade them to accept or reject the measure. Our findings show how information and context can have significant effects on one’s support or opposition to the issue,” Alexander said.
Ohioans demonstrate support for local government services
“While many people don’t love paying taxes, they enjoy the services local taxes provide. We find massive bipartisan agreement when it comes to positive feelings toward public schools, libraries, parks, and services for children and families among many others,” Alexander said.
Ohioans show skepticism when it comes to data centers
“Our respondents are very skeptical when it comes to data centers. This is particularly true when it comes to having them built near their communities. They are a classic example of NIMBY – Not In My BackYard – politics,” Alexander said.
Respondents ambivalent when it comes to government consolidation
“Vivek Ramaswamy set off a firestorm with his comments about consolidating Ohio’s public universities. We do not find strong support for consolidating universities and it is likely opposition would grow given the broad economic benefits universities bring to their communities,” said Alexander.
Full April poll results include:
For the poll, YouGov, an international online research data and analytics technology group, gathered public opinion data through questions sent in online surveys, emails and text messages.
A four-person research team in the BGSU Department of Political Science developed, ordered, tested and analyzed the questions in the poll.
For more information, visit BGSU.edu/depo.
