The old Columbus Dispatch poll, where they mail out responses and get answers. Didn't do the greatest in the last election (I think it was 50%-50% in their final poll), but still overall one of the best polls in Ohio.
Because the Columbus Dispatch is subscription only, my link is through the Cincinnati Post:
It is still extremely early, and I would take these results with a grain of salt.
Poll: Blackwell, Strickland are early leadersFor months, Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell has declared himself the frontrunner in the intense struggle for the GOP gubernatorial nomination next year.
Looks like he’s right.
Seven months before Ohio’s 2006 primary election, Blackwell has dashed to the head of the pack in the first Dispatch Poll for a campaign expected to draw national attention. He has opened a 14-point lead over Attorney General Jim Petro, who in turn tops Auditor Betty D. Montgomery by 2 points among Republican poll respondents.
U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland holds a 3-point margin over Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman among the Democrats polled. Former state Rep. Bryan Flannery is far behind.
The mail survey’s margin of error for both intraparty matchups is 4.5 percentage points.
Blackwell also holds a narrow lead when voters of all stripes are asked to choose among the six major candidates. However, the top five finishers all fall within 5 points of one another — and the total for each is dwarfed by the 40 percent of poll participants who say they are undecided.
The margin of error for the overall poll , conducted Sept. 22 through Wednesday, is 2.6 percentage points.
Blackwell does especially well among Republican men and voters 34 and younger. In the six-way matchup, Montgomery and Strickland hold a tiny lead among independent voters, who are often the key to victory.
Many political experts downplay the significance of surveys conducted so far in advance of an election, saying the results reflect only name recognition, at best.
But candidates often use early "horse race" numbers to open wallets of potential campaign contributors. Preelection polls also sometimes serve to winnow the field, as those lagging consider seeking a lesser office or dropping out before the Feb. 16 filing deadline.
But Columbus poll respondent Melinda Majers Lewis uttered those three little words that give all candidates hope: "I don’t know."
More poll participants are undecided than support any one candidate.
"I’m still waiting to hear about them because nobody really interests me," said Lewis, 51.
Blackwell gets the backing of Julie Solomon, who lives near Glenford in Perry County.
"I think he’s honest," the 45-year-old school bus driver said. "I like the fact that he’s a Christian. I’ve never heard him speak, but I’ve heard interviews, and friends that I trust have heard him. . . . My sister heard him at her church."
Hilliard artist Sarah Hansen, 26, also favors Blackwell.
"I like him because he’s been outspoken about issues in the past," she said. "He seems to be an honest person. He wouldn’t be afraid to say, ‘I believe in this.’ He’s more of a person you could trust."
Here's the way these numbers work out:
Among 526 Republicans who responded:
Blackwell 32%
Petro 18%
Montgomery 16%
Undecided 34%
Among 557 Democrats who responded:
Strickland 22%
Coleman 19%
Flannery 4%
Undecided 55%
Among all 1,456 respondents:
Blackwell 15%
Strickland 13%
Coleman 11%
Montgomery 10%
Petro 9%
Flannery 3%
Undecided 40%
