Two surveys of Ohioans in Senate District 10 and Senate District 12, totaling 879 active Ohio voters, released today by Opportunity Ohio and The Liberty Foundation reveals major concerns about Governor John Kasich’s use of an Executive Order and the Ohio Controlling Board to expand Medicaid. The surveys were conducted on October 16-17 by Magellan Strategies and have margins of error of +/-4.65% and +/-4.69%, respectively. Those Senate Districts were selected because State Senator Chris Widener in Senate District 10 is the Ohio Controlling Board member who is seen as the final vote needed to expand Medicaid and because Senate President Keith Faber in Senate District 12 has the ability to remove Ohio Senate members from the Ohio Controlling Board.
Here are key survey results for Senate District 10:
- 65% of Ohioans want to give a new person a chance in the state legislature, including a plurality of Republicans and 68% of Independents;
- 56% of Republicans see Medicaid as a flawed program, as 82% of Democrats see it as a good program;
- 77% of Democrats favor expansion while 59% of Republicans oppose expansion;
- Independents are split on expansion with 45% favoring it and 44% opposing it;
- 71% of Democrats favor expansion despite the different estimates in new enrollees, as 58% of Republicans and a plurality of Independents (47%) oppose expansion given the varying estimates;
- 59% of Republicans and 51% of independents oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order and the Controlling Board to expand Medicaid, as 58% of Democrats support it;
- 59% of Republicans and 55% of independents oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order and the Controlling Board to expand Medicaid given the estimated costs for Ohioans, as 56% of Democrats support it;
- 57% of Republicans and 56% of independents oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order and the Controlling Board to expand Medicaid given that the Ohio House and Ohio Senate specifically rejected his proposal for the Ohio Budget, as 54% of Democrats support it;
- 55% of Republicans and 54% of independents oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order and the Controlling Board to expand Medicaid given the large amount requested, as 49% of Democrats support it; and
- 62% of Republicans, 63% of independents, and a plurality of Democrats (45%) oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order as a threat to force the Ohio House and Senate to expand Medicaid or allow Medicaid to go bankrupt.
Here are key survey results for Senate District 12:
- 62% of Ohioans want to give a new person a chance in the state legislature, including a plurality of Republicans (46%) and 62% of Independents;
- 62% of Republicans and 59% of Independents see Medicaid as a flawed program, as 67% of Democrats see it as a good program;
- 54% of Democrats favor expansion while 73% of Republicans and 61% of Independents oppose expansion;
- 56% of Democrats favor expansion despite the different estimates in new enrollees, as 73% of Republicans and 63% of Independents oppose expansion given the varying estimates;
- 72% of Republicans and 65% of independents oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order and the Controlling Board to expand Medicaid, as a plurality of Democrats (48%) support it;
- 74% of Republicans and 71% of independents oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order and the Controlling Board to expand Medicaid given the estimated costs for Ohioans, as a slim plurality of Democrats (44%) support it;
- 69% of Republicans, 65% of independents, and a plurality of Democrats (43%) oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order and the Controlling Board to expand Medicaid given that the Ohio House and Ohio Senate specifically rejected his proposal for the Ohio Budget;
- 74% of Republicans, 61% of independents, and a slim plurality of Democrats (40%) oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order and the Controlling Board to expand Medicaid given the large amount requested; and
- 80% of Republicans, 76% of independents, and a plurality of Democrats (46%) oppose Governor Kasich’s use of an Executive Order as a threat to force the Ohio House and Senate to expand Medicaid or allow Medicaid to go bankrupt.
The topline results of the surveys and cross-tabs from the surveys are available here:
Ohio Senate District 10 Medicaid Expansion Pollster Presentation
Ohio Senate District 10 Medicaid Expansion Survey
Ohio Senate District 10 Medicaid Expansion Cross-tabs
Ohio Senate District 12 Medicaid Expansion Pollster Presentation