Poll: Minnesota Republicans Surging in Statewide Races as Crime Runs Rampant

Minnesota Republicans are either ahead of, or in virtual ties with, their Democrat opponents in statewide races as Minnesotans want their public officials to crack down on crime, according to a poll released Tuesday.

Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen is in a virtual tie with Gov. Tim Walz (D), according to the poll.

In the Trafalgar Group/Alpha News poll released Tuesday Walz leads Jensen 47.7 to 45 percent; however, the poll’s 2.9 percent margin of error makes this race for the Minnesota governor’s mansion a virtual tie.

The survey contrasts with a late August/early September KSTP/Survey USA poll, which found that Jensen trailed Walz by 18 points.

The Alpha News/Trafalgar Group poll found that reducing crime was the top issue for 41.5 percent of Minnesota voters, 21.6 percent said the top issue was the economy, and 18.1 percent said keeping abortion access was their top issue.

The survey also found that Republican Jim Schultz, who is challenging Democrat Attorney General Keith Ellison for attorney general, leads Ellison 49.3 to 45.7 percent, with 4.9 percent of voters undecided.

Alpha News suggested that the attorney general race could be the “best opportunity” for a Republican pickup; however, many Republicans are poised to win in November.

Ellison won by only four points in 2018, in what was a strong midterm election season for Democrats.

In the Minnesota secretary of state race, Democrat-Farmer-Labor candidate Steve Simon, the incumbent, barely outpaces Republican Kim Crockett 46.2 to 45.2 percent, with 8.5 percent undecided.

As for the Minnesota state auditor race, Republican Ryan Wilson leads 42.3 percent, Julie Blaha, the Democrat-Farmer-Labor candidate, trails at 41.2 percent, and Tim Davis, the Legal Marijuana Now candidate, has 4.8 percent.

When asked what Minnesotans’ second most important issue is, 26.6 percent of voters said growing the economy, 24.8 percent said reducing crime, and 14.8 percent said fighting against illegal immigration.

The Trafalgar Group conducted the poll, partnered with Alpha News, on September 14, polling 1,079 likely general election voters. The survey has a 2.9 percent margin of error.