Republicans pump the brakes on MAGA as Trump's grip weakens in this red state

According to Newsweek, a record high percentage of Republicans from across the country now identify as part of President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, with about two thirds defining themselves this way.

Recent polling suggests that things may be a little different among Ohio Republicans.

The Democracy and Public Policy Network in the Department of Political Science at Bowling Green State University conducted its seventh web-based poll from April 7-14, 2026, with insight from 1,000 registered Ohio voters.

The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points. The weighted sample reflects a +11 recalled vote margin for President Trump in the 2024 presidential race.

To measure the strength of the MAGA movement, we asked those who intended to vote in the state’s May 5 Republican primary if they consider themselves part of the MAGA movement.

Overall, 55% of those who said they planned to vote in the Ohio Republican primary identified as part of the MAGA movement.

What could explain the difference between Ohio Republicans and the national figure?

First, the question was asked a little differently in each survey, with the national survey asking, “Are you a MAGA supporter,” while ours asked, “Do you consider yourself to be part of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement?”

The slight difference in the wording seems unlikely to account for the difference, however.

Also, the difference is unlikely because of Democrats planning to vote in the Ohio Republican primary. Only two of the respondents who planned to vote in the Republican primary identified as Democrats.

The more likely culprit is that only just over half of those who said they planned to vote in the Republican primary have a very favorable opinion of Donald Trump, and nearly 20% believe the country is going in the wrong direction.

About half of Ohio Republican primary voters strongly approved of the Job Trump is doing as president.

Which Ohio Republicans are more likely to identify as part of the MAGA movement?

Men (58%) were a little more likely than women (53%) to identify as part of the MAGA movement, as were those without a four-year degree (62%) compared to those with one (44%).

Older voters were more likely than younger voters as well.

Fully 65% of those aged 65 or older considered themselves part of the MAGA movement, whereas just under half of both 18-29 year olds and 30-49 year olds did.

More than 70% of those who consider themselves very conservative considered themselves part of the MAGA movement.

Republican union members were only a little less likely (52%) than non-union members (56%) to identify as MAGA.

Fully 62% of those who consider themselves Born Again identified as part of the MAGA movement, whereas only 50% of those who are not Born Again did, and 61% of those who say religion is very important in their lives considered themselves part of MAGA, while only 41% of those for whom it is not important at all did.

Those who live in small towns or rural areas were substantially more likely than those who live in suburbs to consider themselves part of the MAGA movement.

What does all this mean?

With only just over half of Ohio Republicans saying they identify as MAGA, that may reduce Donald Trump’s ability to influence the elections in November.

Not only will Trump’s name not be on the ballot to provide coattails for Republicans, the shine of the MAGA brand may be coming off a little bit in the Buckeye State.

Certainly the MAGA movement remains popular with those voters traditionally associated with it: older, rural, conservative men without four year degrees who consider themselves Born Again. But those voters are unlikely to be sufficient to carry the day in statewide elections in Ohio in 2026.

On the other hand Democrats should certainly not be counting their chickens.

The high percentage of Republican union members who consider themselves part of MAGA is a sign for Democrats that organized labor’s opposition to President Trump and his policies has not reached many of their Republican members.

Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton are going to need those voters to prevail in November.

Finally, all of this points to the possibility of Ohio once again becoming a battleground state, but for that to happen Democrats will need to prove it at the ballot box.

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