(The Center Square) – A new poll shows state Sen. Matt Dolan pushed ahead of businessman and Donald Trump-endorsed Bernie Moreno ahead of Tuesday’s Ohio Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat.
Emerson College’s poll of 1,300 registered voters released Wednesday showed Dolan with 26% support, 3 percentage points ahead of Moreno. Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the one-time frontrunner, fell to just 16%. However, 32% of respondents remain undecided.
The poll, conducted Thursday through Saturday, has +/- 2.6% margin of error.
Dolan’s jump to the lead is a 10-point swing since Emerson’s last poll in January.
“Overall, Dolan is the third candidate to lead the Republican Primary ballot this year in Emerson polls: LaRose led in November, Moreno surged in January, and now Dolan has voters’ attention,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. “The shifting dynamics have left many a significant number of voters undecided with less than a week until Election Day.”
In a matchup with incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown all three candidates lose, according to the poll.
In one-on-one hypotheticals, Brown holds leads of 37%-34% over Dolan, 39%-34% over Moreno, and 39%-33% over LaRose.
“Since the January poll, Brown’s support has remained relatively consistent, while support for the Republican candidates has decreased from 37% to an average of 34%,” Kimball said. “Brown continues to hold a base of women voters who are 7-10 points more supportive of him than the Republican candidates.”
The poll showed about 8% of Trump voters plan to vote for Brown, while 2% of President Joe Biden voters plan to vote for a Republican candidate.
Trump holds a 50%-41% lead over Biden, with 9% undecided.
According to the poll, 59% of Biden supporters said the president’s age raised doubts for them. Half of the Trump supporters said the former president’s criminal indictments raised concerns.
Overall, the economy was the top issue for Ohio voters, with 34% saying it was the biggest issue, followed by immigration, threats to democracy, crime, abortion access, and education.
