MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin is the only swing state in the country where President Joe Biden is polling ahead of former President Donald Trump, according to the newest Marquette University Law Poll.
Results of the poll — which surveyed 908 register voters in the state — showed that 50% of people would vote for Biden in the upcoming presidential election compared to 48% for Trump.
The numbers flip when Biden is pitted against Republican candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with Biden at 48% and DeSantis at 50%.
Against candidate Nikki Haley, Biden’s percentage drops. About 44% of registered voters in the poll said they would vote for Biden in that instance, and 53% said they’d vote for Haley.
Haley stood out for more than just that. A large percentage of voters in the poll (33%) said they haven’t heard enough about Haley to have an opinion about her. That’s much higher than the other three candidates.
Poll Director Charles Franklin said that could be working in her favor in Wisconsin.
“That might seem a real vulnerability, but I’m going to claim it’s her superpower. People don’t know much about her. They know she’s a Republican when we ask the question. I don’t mean to look down at her at all when I say this, she’s sort of the generic Republican here,” Franklin said.
Independent candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is also of interest in the Badger State. He’s polling much higher with Republicans, with 48% having a favorable opinion of him.
Franklin said that’s the party he’ll likely be more of a threat to.
The poll also looked at likeability of state officials and issues.
Gov. Tony Evers had a 53% approval rating among Wisconsinites, which is slightly lower from June when his approval was 57%. The Wisconsin legislature had a 40% approval rating compared to 57% that disapproved.
For the state Supreme Court, about 51% of voters approved while 43% disapproved.
Wisconsin Supreme Court election races have become more partisan in recent years, as shown during the race between Justice Janet Protasiewicz and former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly. A large majority of voters in the poll (87%) said they’d prefer a system that allowed them to elect state Supreme Court justices. Only a mere 12% said they’d prefer justices were appointed.
Voters in the poll also said they’d like judicial candidates to talk about issues so voters can know where they stand. About 80% were for discussing issues compared to 19% that preferred they avoid discussing them. This data comes amid scrutiny around Protasiewicz for being open about her stances on issues like redistricting during her campaign.
Overall, most registered voters (62%) said the state was on the wrong track. Only 36% said the state is headed in the right direction.
The MU Poll has a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percentage points. The sample of voters was 30% Republicans, 29% Democrats and 41% Independents, which is similar to Marquette’s June poll.