Wisconsin Republican Tim Michels in Virtual Tie with Democrat Gov. Tony Evers

HARTLAND, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 09: Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels arrives
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Sean Moran

Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels is in a virtual tie with Gov. Tony Evers (D), according to a poll released Wednesday.

Michels has closed the gap with Evers, according to a Marquette Law School poll. Among likely voters, 47 percent support Evers, and 46 percent support Michels. This shows the race has tightened, as Evers had 47 percent and Michels had 44 percent in the September Marquette poll.

Among voters that are “absolutely certain” to vote, Evers leads 47 percent to Michels’ 46 percent as well.

Evers has an approval rating of 44 percent, while 46 percent have an unfavorable view of the Democrat governor; 36 percent are favorable of Michels, and 36 percent are unfavorable towards the Republican gubernatorial candidate.

The Wisconsin Democrat governor has a net disapproval of his job performance: 48 percent disapprove of his job as governor and 46 percent approve.

Wisconsinites say inflation, public schools, and gun violence are the top three issues they are “very concerned” about.

The poll was conducted before Evers said during a press conference on Tuesday that the 2020 Kenosha Black Lives Matters riots were “civil disruptions.”

A protester walks past a building with broken windows as others burn during protests, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis., sparked by the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha Police officer a day earlier. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

A protester walks past a building with broken windows as others burn during protests, Monday, August 24, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Morry Gash/AP)

Michels said in reaction to Evers’ comment, “Two years later, Tony Evers still refuses to acknowledge his failure in Kenosha. Today, he even minimized the riots by calling them a “civil disruption.” It’s a slap in the face to those who watched their city burn. Evers’ tired, old leadership failed them, and his time is up.”

“Hundreds of businesses were burned, damaged, and destroyed, and lives were lost in the 2020 Kenosha riots with Evers asleep at the wheel,” Republican Governor Association Spokeswoman Maddie Anderson said. “If Evers thinks people dying is ‘not the issue,’ I’d love to know what he is prioritizing instead — because it’s certainly not the safety of Wisconsin families.”

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers speaks during a campaign rally at the Washington Park Senior Center on September 24, 2022, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Marquette Law School interviewed 801 registered Wisconsin voters by landline or cell phone between October 3 and 9. The survey has a +/- 4.3 percent margin of error. The margin of error for the 652 likely voters is +/- 4.8 percent.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

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