‘A game of inches’: Marquette poll shows race for Wisconsin governor is tied

Jessica Arp by Jessica Arp

The race for Wisconsin governor is tied, according to the latest Marquette Law School poll.

The poll released Wednesday shows incumbent Gov. Scott Walker tied with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers in a 47-47 race.

#BREAKING on Wi Gov race from @mulawpoll :@scottwalker 47@tony4wi 47

Don’t know 1

EXACT same number of ppl polled picking each candidate. #news3

— Jessica Arp (@news3jessica) October 31, 2018

Pollster Charles Franklin noted in the poll release that the exact same number of likely voters polled chose Walker and Evers.

“This has been close in most of our polls so I’m not surprised to see a close race, but one that is essentially dead tied is a pretty unusual outcome,” Franklin said.

Walker led Evers in polling at the beginning of October, but the race lead has switched throughout polling since June.

Franklin said the closeness of this race would explain the last-minute sprint to get high-profile surrogates to come to the state, as well as the targeted advertising on specific issues that polling showed matter the most to voters, including health care and education.

MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES in #Campaign2018 in #Wisconsin:

1. Health care coverage

2. Economy

3. K-12 education #news3 pic.twitter.com/XOW0epH1Fb

— Jessica Arp (@news3jessica) October 31, 2018

While independent voters could be a key constituency to swing, campaigns will also be focused on getting out their base voters in the coming days.

“I’d be surprised if we see a really big change,” Franklin said. “I’ve been surprised before, but this last week may be a game of inches, maybe millimeters, to who gets the advantage.”

Get your weather forecast from people who actually live in your community. We update with short, easy-to-use video forecasts you can watch on your phone every day. Download the iOS or Android app here.

COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.