David Crowley, Tom Tiffany
MILWAUKEE - A new poll finds Democrat David Crowley with a slight lead over Republican Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin’s high-stakes governor’s race. The poll is a first look at the general election matchup just days after the party primaries.
It finds:
- Crowley: 48%
- Tiffany: 44%
Platform Communications’ Badger Battleground Poll touts itself as bipartisan, with input from a Republican strategist and a Democratic strategist. It polled 500 likely voters on August 12 and 13, days after the August 11 primary set the matchup between Milwaukee County Executive Crowley and Congressman Tiffany.
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Dig deeper:
Among independents, the poll finds Crowley leading Tiffany 42% to 30%. In the battleground Wisconsin Assembly districts, it finds Crowley with 54% and Tiffany with 35%.
The poll finds 38% of voters have a favorable view of Tiffany, while 43% of voters have a favorable view of Crowley. However, 31% said they don’t know enough about Crowley to have an opinion.
Furthermore, the poll found 51% said the state is moving in the wrong direction, while 61% said the country was on the wrong track.
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What they're saying:
"Wisconsin voters are not particularly happy. That creates an opening for both candidates. Crowley has the advantage right now, but he will have to convince voters that Democrats deserve another four years in the governor’s office. Tiffany has an opportunity to make the election about change, but he has to overcome his own negatives first," Democratic strategist Tanya Bjork stated in a news release about the poll.
"Tom Tiffany is starting slightly down, but a four-point deficit in August is hardly insurmountable," Republican strategist Keith Gilkes said in the same news release. "Crowley’s name ID is significantly lower than Tiffany’s, leaving more room for Republicans to define him and his record. Wisconsin voters are unhappy with the direction of the state. The question for Republicans will be whether Tiffany can turn that dissatisfaction into a compelling case for change."