John Kasich Approval Rating Drops To 42 Percent: PPP Poll

A new poll has Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) facing some sinking popularity numbers.

According to data from left-leaning Public Policy Polling (PPP), which was obtained by Politico, Kasich's approval rating stands at 42 percent. Additionally, when asked about a hypothetical race between Kasich and Democrat Ed FitzGerald for governor, Fitzgerald edged out the incumbent in the PPP survey, 38 to 35 percent. In total, 551 Ohio voters were part of the poll, with a 4.2 percent margin of error.

The PPP results mark a stark contrast from June's Quinnipiac poll, which had Kasich hovering near the 50-percent mark. That survey also had him holding a 47-to-33-percent edge over FitzGerald.

Back in November 2012, Kasich announced that he had "full intentions of running for re-election" in 2014. But a Columbus Dispatch story from last week posed the question of whether Kasich had his sights set on 2016 aspirations, based on topics of conversation ranging from Obamacare to the federal budget.

“Always in politics people are trying to assume what your ulterior motive is," Kasich told the Dispatch. "I have no ulterior motive."