MILWAUKEE— State Rep. Francesca Hong has expanded her lead in the Wisconsin’s Democratic race for governor, according to a new Marquette Law School Poll released on July 29, less than two weeks remaining before the August 11 primary.
The poll found 38% of likely Democratic primary voters support Hong, up from 26% in the previous Marquette poll conducted earlier this month. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is second at 16%, while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who entered the race after the last poll, is third at 7%. Former Department of Adminstration Secretary Joel Brennan and State Sen. Kelda Roys received 2% support.
The percentage of undecided voters also dropped significantly, from 45% in the earlier survey to 34%.
When voters who lean toward a candidate are included, Hong’s support grows to 46%, compared with 21% for Barnes and 11% for Crowley. Brennan and Roys each receive 4%, while 14% remain undecided.
The survey also found Hong’s support is strongest among younger voters and those who identify as very liberal. She received support from 66% of voters ages 18 to 29 and 51% of those ages 30 to 44. Barnes and Crowley performed better with older voters and those who describe themselves as moderates.
The poll also measured the impact of Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement of Crowley after he re-entered the race. Sixty-two percent of Democratic primary voters said they had hear about the endorsement.
Among those surveyed, 36% said Evers’ endorsement made them more likely to support Crowley, while 9% said it made them less likely. A majority, 56%, said the endorsement made no difference in how they planned to vote.
Despite the endorsement, Crowley remains relatively unknown to many Democratic voters. Twenty-two percent said they have a favorable opinion of him, while 67% said they haven’t heard enough about him to form an opinion.
The Marquette Law School Poll surveyed 407 registered voters who said they plan to vote or have already voted in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary. The poll was conducted July 22-27 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 6.6 percentage points.
There are five Democratic candidates who will appear on the partisan primary ballot. The winner will face likely Republican candidate Congressman Tom Tiffany in the November general election. The Democratic primary election is August 11.
