Buckeye Reporter

A new January 28 poll by Harris has Jim Renacci ahead of Democrat John Cranley by 10 points in a general election matchup, with Mike DeWine ahead of Cranley by just one point. The Republican primary race between the two has a narrower margin. 

The poll also shows Renacci ahead of DeWine by just one point in the upcoming Republican primary. Renacci believes these polls should be a factor in who a person supports in the race, as they show him as the most electable, while others may value other factors such as experience or endorsements. 

"A vote for pro-Trump Jim Renacci isn't just a vote to put an end to Mike DeWine's RINO political career," Renacci said of himself. "Renacci is Ohio Republicans' best chance at turning out Republican voters and stopping a Leftist Democrat from winning the governor's race in November. DeWine's anti-Trump agenda and massive unpopularity with voters in his own party makes him damaged goods in a general election. Jim Renacci has the support, momentum, and energy to win both the primary and the general."

The partisan breakdown of the likely voters who voted in the poll is 1,206 independent voters, 163 Republicans and 205 Democrats, showing a heavy skew towards independents. 

Renacci is a businessman and past U.S. representative from the 16th congressional district. Meanwhile, DeWine was John Kasich's hand-picked choice to succeed him as governor and is one of the longest-tenured state officials in the history of Ohio, having been a public official for 41 years.

DeWine has served in the Ohio State Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and as Ohio attorney general as well as Ohio lieutenant governor throughout his four-decade career. The 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary in Ohio will occur on May 3.