Ohio Republican primary voters have demonstrated broad support for Donald Trump, which may have influenced the outcome of the state's GOP Senate primary. According to exit poll results, over 70% of Republican primary voters considered it important for the next senator to support the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. The majority of this group favored businessman Bernie Moreno, the candidate endorsed by Trump, with approximately 60% of their votes going to him.
In contrast, voters who did not prioritize loyalty to Trump largely supported state Sen. Matt Dolan, the only candidate who had not explicitly endorsed the former president. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose trailed behind both Moreno and Dolan in voter preference.
The primary marked the first direct test of Trump's endorsement power in a contested Senate race this year. Moreno's victory sets the stage for a showdown with Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, a three-term incumbent in a state that Trump carried twice. The electorate's alignment with Trump's views extended beyond candidate preference, with a significant majority approving of Trump's past job performance and expressing optimism about a potential second term for him.
Exit polls also revealed that a substantial portion of Ohio GOP primary voters questioned the legitimacy of President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election. The results underscore the party's alignment with Trump's influence and the divide between those who accept the election results and those who do not.
Overall, the exit poll data provides insights into the demographic profile and political views of Ohio's GOP primary voters. While the results are estimates and subject to weighting adjustments, they offer a glimpse into the factors shaping voter decisions in the state's Senate race.
Key findings from the exit poll include voters' ideological views on the Republican Party, immigration policy, abortion, economic sentiment, and national outlook. The majority of Ohio GOP primary voters expressed dissatisfaction with the country's direction and held strong opinions on issues such as immigration and abortion.
The exit poll, conducted by Edison Research for the National Election Pool, surveyed 1,813 Republican primary voters, including both election day and early/absentee voters. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points, with variations for subgroups.
