Less than three weeks before the recall general election, a new Marquette Law School Poll shows Governor Scott Walker leads Democratic challenger Tom Barrett by 6 percent among likely voters, 50-44 percent.
Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin says while the majority agree with what the governor has done, many don’t like how he did it. “We said, ‘What’s your opinion of how Governor Walker has done as governor?’ And we gave the option, ‘I like what he’s done’, 37 percent picked that; and ‘I don’t like what he’s done’, 38 percent picked that. But we also offered, ‘I like what he’s done but not how he’s done it’, 22 percent picked that.”
Just 3 percent of those surveyed are undecided. In the previous poll, taken last month, the two politicians were in a virtual dead heat. Barrett lost to Walker in the 2010 governor’s race by 5 percentage points.
Franklin says those surveyed were asked whether changes to collective bargaining should remain or be restored. “50 percent say keep as it currently is, and 43 percent say restore collective bargaining to what it was before.”
As for the lieutenant governor race, incumbent Rebecca Kleefisch holds a 47 to 41 percentage point lead over her Democratic challenger Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin. Ten percent are undecided in that race.
Looking ahead to November, President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney are tied among likely voters, 46 to 46 percent. Obama led Romney by 49 to 45 percent back in April.
Voter turnout can change everything.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 2:00