CLEVELAND, Ohio - New primary polling shows Richard Cordray leading the Democratic primary for governor and Republicans in the state garnering high disapproval ratings from within their own ranks.

The 1984 Society, a political group of former Ohio Senate employees, commissioned polls for both the Democratic and Republican primary. Neil Clark, a Republican lobbyist and 1984 Society board member, said the poll was the second in a set the group was commissioning to give lobbyists and business people a better sense of where to spend their money or who to support politically.

The 1984 Society is planning two more general election polls, one in the summer and one in the fall.

The group also commissioned a poll in January that included both primary and general election matchups. The April poll looked only at primary matchups and intraparty approval ratings.

The Democratic poll surveyed 500 likely Democratic primary voters and has a margin of error of 4.38 percent, while the Republican poll measured 502 likely Republican primary voters with a margin of error of 4.37 percent. Both polls were taken from April 4-7.

Cordray in the lead

Though the Democratic survey doesn't show Cordray running away with the race just yet with more than half of respondents still undecided, 27.5 percent of respondents said they were voting for Cordray in the Democratic primary. Former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich came in second with around 13 percent.

The Democratic poll included all of the candidates on the May 8 primary. Kucinich and Cordray were the only two to register in the double digits, with state Sen. Joe Schiavoni at 5 percent and former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill, Larry Ealy and Paul Ray all having less than 5 percent.

The numbers, if accurate, are welcome news to Cordray in a crowded primary where 35 percent of the vote could grant a candidate the nomination. Recent polling from another firm showed a tied race between Cordray and Kucinich.

Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics and an Ohio native, said perhaps more significantly, the poll showed Cordray leading with voters in Northeast Ohio - which is where Kucinich's base resides.

"Cordray leading in Cleveland is a positive sign for him, if this is accurate," Kondik said. "He should roll in Central Ohio, and Kucinich can't win without winning Northeast Ohio."

It also showed polarizing opinions on Kucinich, which may explain his slip from the other polls. While 42 percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of Kucinich compared with 38 for Cordray, around 24 percent of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of Kucinich compared with just 10 percent for Cordray.

Republican race tightens, but DeWine is still up big

The Republican poll showed Attorney General Mike DeWine leading Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor by a 17-point margin.

But while DeWine still holds a comfortable lead, he did register a significant drop from the results of the January poll - going from 54 percent in January to 43 percent in April. Taylor saw a gain in the same time period from 14 percent to 26 percent.

That may be a result of the negative attack ads run by both DeWine and Taylor, especially Taylor's commercial tying DeWine to Hillary Clinton and his past support for gun control measures such as an assault weapons ban.

"She attacked him in TV tying him to Clinton," Clark said. "Maybe that and guns. That's the only thing I can figure out."

But both candidates registered high unfavorable ratings among primary voters - around 32 percent for DeWine and 16 percent for Taylor.

The poll also showed U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci leading the U.S. Senate race, but with only 21 percent of voters supporting him and 65 percent undecided, consistent with other polling taken on the primary.

The poll also analyzed the treasurer's race between former Ashtabula County Auditor Sandy O'Brien and state Rep. Robert Sprague. O'Brien led with around 17 percent compared with Sprague's roughly 12 percent and more than 71 percent undecided.

Kasich, Trump and angry voters

The Republican poll showed a significant shift in how Republicans view Gov. John Kasich and President Donald Trump. Almost 75 percent of Republicans said they had a favorable opinion of the president while only around 44 percent said they had a favorable opinion on Kasich.

While Trump's numbers are in line with other recent polls, Kasich's numbers were nearly 10 points lower among Republicans.

One possible explanation is Kasich's newfound support for gun control, a stance that is unpopular with much of the Republican base. His continued criticism of Trump and the speculation about a possible 2020 Kasich presidential run may also play a factor.

Clark said the high unfavorable ratings among Kasich, DeWine and Taylor could point to an electorate that is angry and fed up.

"I think it's a snapshot that voters are really upset with what's happening with politics," Clark said. "It's the only way I can explain it. They love Trump, and they barely tolerate Kasich. Both candidates have high negatives."

Read the Democratic primary poll:

1984 Society Democratic Poll by srichardson on Scribd

Read the Republican primary poll:

1984 Society Republican Poll by srichardson on Scribd