Stakes Rise in Wisconsin’s Senate and Governor’s Races, According to New Poll
As the midterm election approaches, the races for governor and U.S. senator in Wisconsin have tightened significantly.
The CBS News/YouGov poll conducted between October 3-7 among 1,285 Wisconsin voters found incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson leading his Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, by a slim margin of 50% to 49%.
Barnes has won the support of many Democrats, especially those who are opposed to Johnson because of his stance on the issue of abortion, while Johnson has the backing of his Republican base and Wisconsin voters concerned about crime and economic woes.
“Republicans appear to have a turnout advantage,” CBS News said. “Johnson supporters are ten percentage points more likely than Barnes backers to say they are very enthusiastic about voting this year,” compared to Democrats.
As the midterm election evolves into a referendum on President Joe Biden’s leadership, Biden’s low approval rating has undoubtedly helped Johnson’s turnout support.
According to CBS, “the abortion issue is helping keep the race close,” but Johnson benefits from a wide lead with voters who prioritize the economy, inflation, and crime, all of which are ranked higher in importance than abortion.
One-fifth of voters trust Republican Tim Michels on the most important issues facing the state today, including crime, immigration, and the economy, putting him in a dead heat with incumbent Democrat Tony Evers at 50%.
CBS News noted that “on balance, voters are more likely to say Evers will make them less safe rather than safer from crime,” while the opposite was true of Republican challenger Michels.