Wisconsin governor race: Badger Battleground poll offers early look

MILWAUKEE - In the first statewide poll looking at the two primaries in Wisconsin’s 2026 race for governor, the bipartisan Badger Battleground Poll found that Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and Democrat Mandela Barnes, the former lieutenant governor and candidate for U.S. Senate, in their respective primaries for governor.

Republican results

By the numbers:

Tom Tiffany had the support of 30% of respondents in the Republican primary, with the nearest prospective candidate, Eric Hovde, garnering 14%, while 34% of the Republican electorate remained undecided.

The poll also included candidate and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, and prospective candidates Tim Michels and Mary Felzkowski.

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Just more than 9% of voters favored "none of these" candidates, and the poll was conducted before news that former Gov. Tommy Thompson was also considering a run.

Democrat results

By the numbers:

In the Democratic primary, Mandela Barnes opens as a potential candidate with the highest marks among respondents, with 16% saying they would support him in a primary, while declared candidate Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez is in second at 8%.

Nearly 38% of Democrats remain undecided in the race.

Also included in the poll were declared candidates Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, State Rep. Francesca Hong, State Sen. Kelda Roys, ex-WEDC CEO Missy Hughes, and prospective candidates Attorney General Josh Kaul, and former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Wikler.

Generic ballot

By the numbers:

The Wisconsin electorate remains closely divided, with a shift toward the GOP ahead of a mid-term election year that could still create challenges for Republicans, as often happens to the party holding the White House.

Republicans hold a narrow 43%-40% lead on the generic gubernatorial ballot in the state’s first open gubernatorial race since 2010.

The Republican Party is viewed net favorably (48% favorable-44% unfavorable) while the Democratic Party is viewed unfavorably by a solid majority of voters (37% favorable-54% unfavorable).

Other ratings

By the numbers:

President Trump holds a 48%-48% unfavorable rating, while Governor Tony Evers sits at 47% favorable-44% unfavorable.

When asked if they personally considered themselves supporters of the MAGA movement, 46% of voters said they identified as MAGA.

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Political violence

By the numbers:

There is near-unanimous agreement that the increase in political violence is concerning.

95% of voters say they are concerned about the rise in political violence, and 79% say they are "very concerned." This sentiment is consistent across race, political party, age, and ideology.

Full breakdown

By the numbers:

Check out the PDF document below that breaks down all the numbers:

How the poll works

What we know:

The poll surveyed 500 likely general election voters using live telephone interviews on a combination of landlines and cell phones from Sept. 28-30, 2025.

It was designed and commissioned by Platform Communications as part of a collaborative bipartisan effort with input from Democratic and Republican consultants.

Platform Communications says it does not engage in partisan campaign work for political campaigns or political parties in any way, and prepares the poll to provide its range of bipartisan, nonpartisan, and private-sector clients insights into public affairs in the state of Wisconsin.

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