Walker and Evers

Scott Walker and Tony Evers.

A Marquette Law School Poll of Wisconsin voters released on Aug. 22 finds a tight race for governor following the Aug. 14 primary.

Among voters who say they are certain to vote, incumbent Republican Scott Walker receives 46 percent, Democrat Tony Evers receives 46 percent and Libertarian Phil Anderson 6 percent.

Only 2 percent say they lack a preference or do not lean to a candidate.

Among all registered voters, the poll puts Walker at 46 percent, Evers at 44 percent and Anderson at 7 percent.

Among likely voters in the U.S. Senate race, 49 percent support the incumbent, Democrat Tammy Baldwin, and 47 percent support Republican Leah Vukmir. About 3 percent say they lack a preference or do not lean toward a candidate.

Among all registered voters, Baldwin has 51 percent and Vukmir has 43 percent.

The poll shows awareness of Evers and Vukmir increased among registered voters since the last poll in July. Now, 46 percent lack an opinion of Evers, down from 60 percent in July. For Vukmir, 48 percent lack an opinion now, compared with 66 percent in July.

Evers is viewed favorably among 38 percent of likely voters and unfavorably by 27 percent.

Walker is viewed favorably among 49 percent of likely voters and unfavorably by 47 percent.

Vukmir has a 30 percent favorable rating and a 29 percent unfavorable rating among likely voters.

Baldwin has a 46 percent favorable rating and a 42 percent unfavorable rating among likely voters.

The poll was conducted Aug. 15-19 among 800 registered voters in Wisconsin interviewed by cellphone or landline. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The poll also included 10 issue questions, put to half the survey sample.

When asked the most important issue facing the state:

• 24 percent of registered voters picked jobs and the economy.

• 22 percent chose K-12 education.

• 19 percent said health coverage.

• 9 percent said the condition of roads.

Fifty-three percent of registered voters see the state as headed in the right direction.

Walker’s job approval among registered voters stands at 48 percent, with 45 disapproving.

More on the issues…

Schools: Asked if the state’s public schools are in better, the same or worse shape now than they were a few years ago, 15 percent of voters said better shape now, 34 percent said about the same and 44 percent said schools are in worse shape.

Voters would rather increase spending on public schools than reduce property taxes, by a 61 percent to 32 percent margin.

Prisons: Thirty-five percent of voters said Walker has not paid enough attention to the issues of prisoner abuse at the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake juvenile prisons. About 73 percent would favor eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of nonviolent offenses.

Political conversations: Forty percent of registered voters said they talk about politics with family and friends more than once a week, and an additional 24 percent said they have such conversations about once a week.

Conversations about politics with coworkers are often avoided altogether, with 46 percent saying they never have these conversations and 11 percent saying they do so only once or twice a year.

Contrary to the idea that voters today live in “information bubbles,” respondents reported their political conversations include a substantial mix of opinions.

Marijuana legalization: Sixty-one percent said marijuana should be fully legalized and regulated like alcohol.

Foxconn: Forty-four percent said the state is paying more than the Foxconn plant is worth, while 41 percent think the plant would provide at least as much value as the state is investing.

A majority of registered voters statewide said the Foxconn plant would substantially improve the economy of the greater Milwaukee area.

Tariffs and of trade: Thirty-four percent said increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports would improve the U.S. economy while 48 percent said tariffs would hurt the economy.

Partisan differences in views of tariffs are sharp, with a majority of Republicans saying tariffs are good for the U.S. economy. A large majority of Democrats said tariffs are bad for the economy.

The Mueller investigation and Russian interference: Confidence in the Mueller investigation’s ability to be fair and impartial has become more polarized since June 2017, with growth in both “a great deal of confidence” and in “no confidence at all” categories. Twenty-eight percent said they have a great deal of confidence while 29 percent said they have no confidence in the investigation.

Enthusiasm for voting: Overall, 63 percent of registered voters said they are very enthusiastic about voting in this year’s elections.

Among Republicans, 69 percent are very enthusiastic, while among Democrats 67 percent are. Among independents, 56 percent said they are very enthusiastic about voting this year.

For more

Dive into the data and details here.

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