New Poll Shows Mandel as Republican Frontrunner in Senate Contest, with Vance, Gibbons and Timken Battling for Second

The Tennessee Star ^ | December 18, 2021 Cooper Moran | December 18, 2021 Cooper Moran

[T Ruth]

A new poll, conducted by the Trafalgar Group, showed that Josh Mandel is leading the crowded field seeking the Republican nomination to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate.

However, JD Vance, Mike Gibbons, and Jane Timken are all within striking distance of the frontrunner, as the trio battles for second place.

According to the data, Mandel has captured the most support among voters thus far with 21.4 percent. Mandel’s numbers are likely boosted due to his statewide name recognition as Ohio Treasurer and failed Senate campaign in 2012.

Venture capitalist and author JD Vance is the next strongest contender, collecting 14.9 percent of the demonstrated support. Following closely behind Vance at 11.9 percent is Mike Gibbons, who has poured millions into his own campaign. Former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken gathered 10.4 percent.

Of the 1,053 Ohio residents that responded to the survey, an overwhelming number—34.4 percent—of voters are still undecided on which candidate they will support in the primary election in May 2022.

Notably, former President Donald Trump has not weighed in on the highly-competitive race, which could give the endorsed candidate much stronger support in the state. Trump won Ohio by eight points in both 2016 and 2020.

A super PAC connected to Vance’s campaign contains a war chest of more than $10 million after donations from billionaire Peter Thiel and conservative donors Robert and Rebekah Mercer.

[griswold3]

Not a fan of any listed

[traderrob6]

Whoever Trump endorses will ultimately win the nomination and likely the seat.

[Alberta's Child]

Trump will not endorse anyone in this race unless a clear front-runner emerges. He’d rather endorse a RINO who wins than a MAGA candidate who loses.

[Republican Wildcat]

When you have a “lead” but your total support is only at 21.4%, that is not much to boast about.

[ground_fog]

Vance had bad instincts..attacked Trump..just cannot be sure he is genuine..hope Ohio can filter them out well.

[SharpRightTurn]

“A super PAC connected to Vance’s campaign contains a war chest of more than $10 million after donations from billionaire Peter Thiel and conservative donors Robert and Rebekah Mercer.”

That doesn’t leave one with a warm and fuzzy feeling about Vance.

[OKSooner]

Rand likes Gibbons. YMMV, just sayin’.

[FamiliarFace]

Me either, but I don’t vote in Ohio anymore. More specifically, I’m not registered there anymore.

[willk]

So if Trump is not our countries savior who would you pick? Willard? Liz?

[carton253]

I’m all the way in for Gibbons.

[Alberta's Child]

I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve been a passionate supporter of Trump since 2016.

[Digger]

I’ll go with Mandel if i was an Ohioian. Vance will turn out to bea RINO.

[lone star annie]

Mandel is on War Room all the time

[kenmcg]

Is he a strong Trumper?

[Alberta's Child]

All I know is that Ohio’s elected leaders have a disturbing tendency to fall into the following two groups:

1. Republicans who turn out to be insufferable, feckless dopes.

2. Weird Democrats who would be right at home in the Mos Eisley cantina scene in “Star Wars.”

[delapaz]

JD Vance is NOT part of the OH GOP establishment, and someone has a PAC running ads against him and no one else. He is fully onboard with Trump now, unlike many others in the OHGOP establishment. Mandel is a tool of the establishment GOP.

Good enough for me. Vance all the way.

[griswold3]

My number one issue now is Civil Liberties. I will check out Gibbons

[Wallace T.]

Look at the candidates that Peter Thiel has supported:

Sen. Lamar Alexander
Randy Altschuler
Rep. Justin Amash
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett
Rep. Bob Beauprez
Rep. Mary Bono
Ryan Brumberg
Rep. Eric Cantor
Rep. Mike Coffman
Sen. Norm Coleman
Sen. Susan Collins
Sen. John Cornyn
Sen. Ted Cruz
Sen. Jim DeMint
Sen. Elizabeth Dole
Sen. Jeff Flake
Douglas Forrester
Rep. Scott Garrett
Sen. Chuck Hagel
Sen. Orrin Hatch
Rep. Robin Hayes
Rep. Nancy Johnson
Rep. Tim Johnson
Sen. John Neely Kennedy
Rep. Dan Lungren
Josh Mandel
Rep. Kevin McCarthy
State Sen. Dick Monteith

Gov. Butch Otter
Sen. Rand Paul
Rep. Jon Porter
John Raese
Rep. Denny Rehberg
Rep. James E. Rogan
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher
Dino Rossi
Rep. Ed Royce
Rep. Bob Schaffer
Rep. Rob Simmons
Rep. Mike Simpson
Sen. Gordon H. Smith
Don Stenberg
Sen. Jim Talent
Rep. Tom Tancredo
Rep. Lee Terry
ep. Bill Thomas
Sen. John Thune
State Sen. Richard Tisei

A few good ones (Rand Paul, Tom Tancredo), but mostly establishment politicians and some Assistant Democrats. This track record does not give me a great amount of confidence on Thiel's choices of GOP candidates.

[nd76]

I just moved to Ohio; my wife and I found a house in Lorain County near my daughter’s family home.

I’m unsure who to support. I’ve seen a lot of ads around here for local businessman Bernie Moreno. What does anyone on here know about hun?

It looks like my congressman is going to be Bob Latta from Bowling Green (the new district we are living in extends all the way from the Lorain-Cuyahoga county line to Indiana (our current congressman is Bob Gibbs from Holmes County).