John Kasich strengthens 2016 bid with 'all-time high' approval rating in Ohio

As 2016 approaches, Ohio Gov. John Kasich's approval rating among voters in the Buckeye State continues to rise, hitting what Politico reports to be an "all-time high" in the latest Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday. The poll of swing states found that Ohioans approve of Kasich's job performance 61 percent to 28 percent.

Among Republican voters, Kasich's numbers are even higher, with 84 percent approving of his job performance as governor and only 10 percent disapproving. Independents were more approving than Democrats, with independents giving Kasich the thumbs up 60 percent to 28 percent and Democrats only approving 46 percent to 44 percent.

Ohioans' beaming approval of Kasich bodes well for him in the Republican presidential primary. No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning the key swing state of Ohio, USA Today reports, and the poll bump could also strengthen Kasich's case that his brand of moderate conservatism can appeal to a wide-range of voters — unlike, say, fellow moderate Chris Christie.

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The poll conducted between August 7-18 has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.