COLUMBUS, Ohio — Democrats appear poised to lose every statewide election in battleground Ohio this fall — most of them badly.
The prospect is fueling Republican arguments headed into the next presidential election that voter support in a key bellwether state telegraphs national approval for GOP policies.
Republicans are counting on solid wins in the run-up to their 2016 presidential nominating convention in Cleveland, the bluest city in a politically purple state. GOP incumbents running for re-election for attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor all appear headed for victory, as does GOP Gov. John Kasich over Democrat Ed FitzGerald.
Democrats “missed their chance,” Peter Brown, Quinnipiac University Poll assistant director, says: “Two or three years ago, they thought John Kasich would be easy to beat. His approval numbers were in the mid-30s at one point. So they tried to get a candidate they thought could win. They turned out to be wrong about that, but that doesn’t mean the party’s gone forever.”
