Walker, Evers back into dead heat in governor’s race in latest polling

(Wisconsin Radio Network) The Wisconsin gubernatorial race is back to a dead heat in the latest Marquette Law School Poll.

Political scientist Charles Franklin says Governor Walker now slightly leads challenger Tony Evers in polling among likely voters, 47 to 46 percent.

“That’s inside a margin of error shift, and you’ll notice it’s in the direction of the partisan makeup of the poll.”

Franklin says that coincides with a larger number of Republicans who answered the poll this month.

Over the long term that number has remained mostly within the margin of error in polling. “We’ve had Walker by two. We’ve had a tie. We’ve had Evers by five. And we’re back to a one point Walker advantage,” says Franklin.

Senator Tammy Baldwin still leads challenger Leah Vukmir in her race, 53 to 43 percent.

There’s been some interesting changes to public opinions on taxes.  Franklin says more people would be willing to pay higher taxes to receive more government services.

“51 percent say they’d pay higher taxes and more services, and 42 percent, lower taxes and services.”

That result is opposite of what it was back in 2012. Respondents also said they’d be willing to pay more taxes for better schools, but don’t want to see an increase in gas and vehicle fees to pay for better roads.

Most residents continue to dislike the state’s decision to stand behind expansive tax breaks for Foxconn. Franklin says more Wisconsinites continue to think the deal isn’t worth the price tag, 48 percent to 38 percent. A majority of people do say the deal will help south east Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area, but tend to think it won’t help the community where they live.

One new question in this month’s polling asks if the state has done enough to help fight opiate addictions.  Eleven percent of voters say the state is doing a lot to help people while 60 percent say it’s only doing a fair amount or a little. 17 percent of respondents said the state is doing nothing to help solve the problem.

Franklin says the response raises concerns about the visibility of the fight against opiate addictions.

“If anything this low number out here on ‘a lot’ suggests there’s not a whole lot of awareness about what if anything the state has done, and then people think we’re doing a sort of middling amount in the middle.”

One more poll is set to run before the Midterm Election