Strickland strong, Ohioans surly in statewide poll

Democratic Congressman Ted Strickland leads both Republican gubernatorial candidates in the latest independent public-opinion poll released today.

A survey of 1,075 Ohio voters, taken Feb. 20 to March 25 by the University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, found Strickland leading Secretary of State Ken Blackwell by about 38 percent to 33 percent, with 29 percent undecided.

A matchup between Strickland and Attorney General Jim Petro found Strickland leading by 32 percent to 28 percent with nearly 40 percent undecided. Blackwell and Petro face each other in a May 2 primary election.

In the GOP primary matchup, Blackwell led Petro by about 39 percent to 32 percent with nearly 29 percent undecided.

Strickland was favored over former state Rep. Bryan Flannery in the Democratic primary, 48 percent to 8.5 percent with 43 percent undecided.

In other questions:

-- 59 percent of all respondents prefer Democrats take control of state government.

-- About 89 percent said they felt corruption is a serious problem or somewhat of a problem in Ohio, down slightly from the last Akron Buckeye Poll in November.

-- 64 percent said the state is on the wrong track.

-- Nearly 52 percent said they had a mostly or very favorable opinion of religious groups that seek to restore traditional morality to state government.

During a Statehouse news conference, John Green, director of the Bliss Institute, said the poll indicates a prospect for "a very close race in the fall.''

"There is a great deal of discontent out there,'' Green said. "A lot of that discontent has not been focused on a particular candidate.''

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

More details on the Akron poll can be found at www.uakron.edu/bliss/research.php and in Thursday's Enquirer.