A survey from the Institute for Reforming Government found that 55% of republican women trust Republicans to do what’s right and 50% of Republican women think Republicans are too extreme.
The institute’s president CJ Szafir told Steve Scaffidi on WTMJ N.O.W. they surveyed over 300 suburban college-educated women in Milwaukee to understand why there has been a shift in politics over the years for suburban women.
“In 2012, this was the group of voters that put Scott Walker into office,” Szafir said. “Now 10 years later, they’re voting for candidates that are running on overturning Scott Walker’s policies.”
Szafir said the surveyed women in the WOW (Waukesha, Ozaukee & Washington) area think the top issues Wisconsin lawmakers should focus on are healthcare, abortion and crime.
“If you’re a liberal or a moderate… those women are most concerned about abortion,” he said. “But taxes and the budget were the biggest issues for conservative women.”
Szafir said Republicans are leading in some policy issues but are falling behind in more “kitchen table” issues. 20 to 30% of the women polled agreed that health care, child care and mental health were the main issues.
“When you think about Governor Evers using his bully pulpit to call this year the year of mental health… it’s not surprising that on mental health, at least for women, democrats are winning,” said Szafir.
The focus group found that many liberals and moderates want more “reasonable” and “nice” people similar to Scott Walker and Paul Ryan, but that most women in all parties aren’t leaning toward Republicans.
“Republicans are too extreme so we’re voting Democrat,” said Szafir. “That was a very common sentiment that was played out in the focus groups, and our polling actually backed that up. [All parties surveyed] view the democratic party as more trustworthy and less extreme.”
Szafir added that wherever Wisconsin leans is a massive issue because of its swing state status in major elections.
“[The women surveyed] don’t love both parties,” Szafir said. “It’s just they think that Democrats are slightly less extreme. They trust them slightly more, but those numbers can change very very quickly.”