TX Sen. Ted Cruz wins Buckeye Firearms Association straw poll of Republican presidential candiates

Recently, Buckeye Firearms Association conducted an unscientific straw poll of our website readers. The poll, which limited visitors to one vote, asked the following question:

It's almost certain that Hillary Clinton will be the presidential nominee for the Democrat Party. But the Republican field is huge and it's anyone's guess who the party will nominate. We've listed below all the major Republican candidates in alphabetical order. If the nomination were up to YOU, who would you choose to run against Clinton? Select the candidate of your choice and we'll report on the results at BuckeyeFirearms.org.

The results are in.

The winner, by a 1.8% margin, was Texas Senator Ted Cruz, with 23.3% of the vote.

Following in second place was New York businessman Donald Trump, with 21.5% of the vote.

Coming in third was Ohio Governor John Kasich, with 11.4% of the vote.

No other candidate broke single digits.

Others receiving votes were Virginia businesswoman Carly Fiorina: 9.1%, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (7.9%), Florida Dr. Ben Carson (6.4%), Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (6.3%), and Florida Senator Marco Rubio (4.6%), and Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (2.9%). The remaining candidates (Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Mark Everson, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum) all received less than 1% of the vote, while Jim Gilmore and George Pataki did not receive a single vote.

Rather than choose one of the 16 candidates, 1.2% of respondents marked "other."

Comments from those supporting Sen. Cruz included his support for the Constitution (including the Second Amendment), for conservative principles, and for states' rights. He was also complimented for his straight talk, trustworthiness, and for being well-spoken. More than a few remarked on how much they would enjoy watching a debate between Cruz and Mrs. Clinton.

Comments from those supporting Mr. Trump centered on his knowing how to run a business, and on being financially-independent. They also like what he is not - not a career politician and not politically correct.

Comments from those supporting Gov. Kasich focused on his experience and record of accomplishments both in Ohio (including signing pro-gun legislation) and in the U.S. Congress.

As the presidential campaign progresses, Buckeye Firearms Association will do our best to make readers aware of opportunities to see and learn more about the candidates when they visit Ohio. To that end, we note that Senator Marco Rubio will be attending a Meet-n-Greet in Cleveland on Friday (get free tickets here), and another in Columbus on Saturday (get free tickets here).

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.