Republican disapproval of Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has jumped 13 points since he announced his support for gay marriage, according to polling released Friday by Quinnipiac University.
Twenty-one percent of Republicans now disapprove of Portman's performance, up from just 8 percent in a February poll. His numbers among independent voters also fell somewhat, while his perception among Democratic voters improved slightly. Portman's overall approval rating is now at 40 percent, with 31 percent disapproving.
Portman reversed his stance on gay marriage in March, explaining that he wanted his son, Will, who is gay, to have the same opportunities as his other children.
Asked to react specifically to Portman's endorsement of same-sex marriage, 20 percent of voters said they viewed him more favorably, 25 percent that they viewed him less favorably, and 53 percent that it made no difference. Forty-one percent of Republicans said it made them view him less favorably, while 6 percent said it improved their image of him, and 51 percent said it made no difference.
More generally, 48 percent of Ohio voters said they supported same-sex marriage, while 44 percent opposed it.
The Quinnipiac poll used live phone interviews to survey 1,138 registered voters in Ohio between April 10 and April 15.
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