GOP challenger Stivers leads Kilroy by 9 points

WASHINGTON – Republican Steve Stivers holds a 9-point lead over freshman Democratic Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy of Columbus, according to an independent, nonpartisan poll released yesterday by The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper.

Kilroy’s campaign was quick to question the findings because the poll of 404 likely voters did not list Libertarian Party candidate William J. Kammerer or Constitution Party candidate David Ryon.

“Four candidates will appear on ballots in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District The Hill poll isn’t a serious or credible barometer of what’s happening in central Ohio because it only tested two,” said Kilroy spokesman Brad Bauman.

In 2008, Kilroy defeated Stivers by less than 1 percentage point. Nearly 9percent of the vote was split by two others on the ballot: a Libertarian candidate and an independent candidate who opposed abortion rights.

Although the minor-party candidates probably cut into Stivers’ total two years ago, Kilroy fell well below Barack Obama’s performance in her district. Obama received 54percent of the presidential vote; Kilroy got less than 46 percent of the House vote.

In The Hill poll of likely voters, Stivers leads this year’s race 47 percent to 38 percent.

Stivers leads Kilroy easily among both independents, 46 percent to 25 percent, and men, 50 percent 35 percent. Stivers has a small lead among women, 44 percent to 40 percent. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.

A Stivers spokesman said the poll numbers show that Kilroy is “out of touch with voters” on such issues as federal spending, jobs and the economy.

“Up or down, we are working hard every day talking to voters in the district,” said Stivers spokesman John Damschroder.

The Hill’s pollster, Penn Schoen Berland, conducted surveys of 12 key races featuring vulnerable freshmen Democrats. In another closely watched Ohio race, Republican challenger Jim Renacci holds a small lead over freshman Rep. John Boccieri of Alliance, 42 percent to 39percent.

In all but one of the 12 races, the GOP challenger is ahead, the polls found. However, none of the Republicans is above 50 percent, and the GOP’s lead in half the races is within the margin of error.

Click here to read the full story.