GOP candidates Michels, Johnson have an edge among voters 50+, independents, AARP poll finds

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Republican candidates in Wisconsin's most contentious races are leading their challengers among voters 50 and older along with independents, according to a poll conducted by AARP Wisconsin.

In the competitive governor's race, Republican Tim Michels leads Democratic Gov. Tony Evers 51% to 47% among voters aged 50 and up. It's a key voting demographic that makes up a majority of Wisconsin voters.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson received 52% support among voters 50 and older, meanwhile his Democratic opponent Mandela Barnes sits at 45%.

Michels and Johnson also have an edge among independent voters, according to the poll. Michels is up 7 points over Evers and Johnson has a 10-point lead over Barnes.

While it appears Republicans have an edge, pollsters warn it doesn't necessarily reflect the results come November.

"They are snapshots in time and that's why you run campaigns, because what happens in a poll in late September is not necessarily going to happen the first week in November," said Bob Ward, a pollster at Fabrizio Ward.

When it comes to rating the direction of the county and the state, voters surveyed are quite pessimistic. Seventy-three percent of voters believe the state is headed in the wrong direction and 84% agree that members of Congress do not listen to voters.

It reflects an overall grumpy electorate. All four candidates in the U.S. Senate and governor's race also have higher unfavorable rates than favorable. The result is a reflection of similar trends found in this month's Marquette Law School Poll.

"The issue is the perceptions of the candidate can shift over time and that's especially true of the non-incumbents such as Mandela Barnes and Tim Michels," said Charles Franklin, poll director at Marquette Law School. "Their images are still a work in progress."

It comes as politics is becoming more polarized than ever before. According to the Pew Research Center, members of both parties who have unfavorable opinions of the opposing party have doubled since 1994 - the highest point in nearly three decades.

Emily Swanson, a poll director for the Associated Press, said since the 2020 presidential elections there's "deep animosity each political party holds towards each other and deep concerns about the foundations of our system of government."