FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2010
Contact: Jill Bader (414) 453-2010

ICYMI: Rasmussen Reports Walker Leads Barrett 48%-42%
Viewed Favorably by voters 55-28

Wauwatosa, Wis.– Scott Walker Campaign Manager Keith Gilkes said, “Wisconsin families are ready to take back their government and are flocking to Scott Walker’s plan to get our state back to work through low taxes, less government, and more freedoms.”

Election 2010: Wisconsin Governor
Wisconsin Governor: GOP’s Walker, Neumann Still Slightly Ahead

The top Republican contenders for governor of Wisconsin still hold modest leads over the likely Democratic nominee, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state finds Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker leading Barrett 48% to 42%. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.

Last month, Walker led Barrett 49% to 40%. In January, the first Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 survey of the race found Walker out front 48% to 38%.

Former GOP Congressman Mark Neumann now posts a 46% to 42% lead over Barrett, with four percent (4%) opting for another candidate. Again, eight percent (8%) remain undecided.

Neumann led the Democrat 44% to 42% in February and a month earlier was ahead by a 42% to 38% margin.

Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold continues to lead his two announced Republican opponents in Wisconsin’s race for the U.S. Senate, and his hypothetical match-up with former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson is now a toss-up.

Democratic Governor Jim Doyle is not seeking reelection, and Barrett faces no major competition within his party for now. Republicans will pick a gubernatorial nominee in a September 14 primary.

Men prefer both Republican gubernatorial hopefuls over Barrett, but the Democrat leads among women. Voters not affiliated with either major party favor Walker and Neumann over Barrett by roughly two-to-one.

Nineteen percent (19%) of Wisconsin voters have a very favorable opinion of Barrett, while 16% regard him very unfavorably.

Neumann is viewed very favorably by 17% and very unfavorably by 11%.

For Walker, very favorables total 30% and very unfavorables 14%.

At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with a strong opinion more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.

Forty-six percent (46%) approve of the job Doyle is dong as governor, up 10 points from January. Fifty-three percent (53%) disapprove. This includes 12% who Strongly Approve and 38% who Strongly Disapprove of his job performance.

Rasmussen Reports also has released recent polls on the 2010 governor’s races in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

In 2008, Rasmussen Reports projected nationally that Barack Obama would defeat John McCain by a 52% to 46% margin. Obama won 53% to 46%. Four years earlier, Rasmussen Reports projected the national vote totals for both George W. Bush and John Kerry within half-a-percentage-point.

In Wisconsin during the 2008 campaign, Rasmussen Reports polling showed Obama defeating McCain by a 51% to 44% margin. Obama won 56% to 43%. Four years earlier, Rasmussen polling showed Kerry leading Bush in the state by a 48% to 46% margin. Kerry won 50% to 49%.

In 2006 Senator Herb Kohl was ahead of Robert Lorge 64% to 25% in the final Rasmussen poll. Kohl won 67% to 30%. In the governor’s race that year, Rasmussen polling showed Jim Doyle leading Mark Green 48% to 44%. Doyle won 53% to 45%.

In Feingold’s 2004 reelection bid, final Rasmussen polling showed him leading 53% to 43%. Feingold won 55% to 44%.

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