Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads a number of potential GOP presidential candidates in the swing state of Ohio, according to a new poll.
Residents of the Buckeye State favored Clinton in hypothetical match-ups with possible 2016 Republican contenders, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (46%-37%), Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (48%-37%), and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (46%-42%), according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. She also beat Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich, 47% to 40%.
Ohio is considered a key prize in presidential elections. Clinton won the state during the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. President Obama won the state during both his 2008 and 2012 general election campaigns.
The GOP recognizes the importance of clinching the state’s 18 electoral votes. The Republican National Convention has chosen Cleveland as the host city for its 2016 presidential convention.
More than half — 52% — of Ohio residents hold a favorable opinion of Clinton, a potential contender in the 2016 presidential election, according to the poll. Her approval rating was 92% among Democrats and 14% among Republicans in the poll.
A similar Quinnipiac poll published last week also found Clinton beating all potential 2016 GOP contenders in the battleground state of Florida.
RELATED: Katy Perry offers theme song to Hillary Clinton
Clinton released her long-awaited memoir, “Hard Choices,” last month among nearly constant speculation about her presidential ambitions. She has been touring the country while promoting the book, which focuses on her time at the State Department.
Earlier this week, the former first lady said she isn’t certain if she will run for office again, but said she thinks it would be “healthy” for the Democratic Party to have a contested primary. Former President Bill Clinton recently said he doesn’t know whether his wife will make a bid for chief executive officer of the United States.
The poll, conducted between July 24 and July 28 among 1,366 adults, also found that only 36% of Ohio voters said they approved of Obama’s job performance. The figure was close to his all-time low of 34% in Quinnipiac polling.
Michele Richinick