Also:
- Democrats more likely to vote, more Republicans enthusiastic to vote
- Democrats feature greater party loyalty with 98% likely voters supporting Crowley, although enthusiasm is low among Hong supporters
- Most voters see themselves as more moderate than either candidate
- Inflation, cost of living, and negative views of the economy are dominant issues for voters
- Opposition to data centers remains high; 67% would ban data centers for at least a year
- Views are mixed on the job that public schools are doing, with a downward trend over the past dozen-plus years
- Views also mixed on how to pay for schools
Please note: Complete Poll results and methodology information can be found online at law.marquette.edu/poll
MILWAUKEE — A new Marquette Law School Poll of Wisconsin finds Democrat David Crowley leading Republican Tom Tiffany among likely voters by 49% to 44%, with 7% undecided. The race for governor, which will come to a head with the election on Nov. 3, is tied among all registered voters at 44% each, with 12% undecided.
This is Marquette’s first survey following the primary elections on Aug. 11.
Some of the gap between the results for likely and registered voters is due to a slight Democratic advantage in commitment to voting in November, with 84% of Democrats saying they are certain to vote. Among Republicans, 82% are certain they will vote, while 59% of independents say the same. (The group of “likely voters” in this release, as traditionally in the Marquette Law School Poll, consists of those who say they are certain to vote.)
At this stage of the campaign, an additional Democratic advantage among likely voters is greater Democratic party loyalty in supporting the party’s nominee for governor, as well as support for Crowley among independents who are likely to vote. Likely voters among independents favor Crowley more than does the full registered-voter sample.
Among likely Democratic voters, 98% say they will vote for Crowley, while 91% of likely Republican voters say they will vote for Tiffany. Likely independent voters prefer Crowley by 55% to 16% for Tiffany. In comparison, among all registered voters, Crowley wins 93% from Democrats, Tiffany wins 90% of Republicans, and Crowley leads among independents, 35% to 18% for Tiffany.
Considerably more independents say they are undecided than within either partisan camp. These comparisons are shown in Table 1. (All results in the tables are stated as percentages.)
Table 1: Vote for governor, by party identification
Among likely voters and registered voters
| Party ID | Vote choice | ||
| Tom Tiffany | David Crowley | Haven’t decided | |
| Likely voters | |||
| Among all likely voters | 44 | 49 | 7 |
| Republican | 91 | 3 | 6 |
| Independent | 16 | 55 | 30 |
| Democrat | 0 | 98 | 2 |
| Registered voters | |||
| Among all registered voters | 44 | 44 | 12 |
| Republican | 90 | 3 | 7 |
| Independent | 18 | 35 | 47 |
| Democrat | 1 | 93 | 6 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Aug. 12-20, 2026 | |||
| Question: If the election for governor were held today between (Tom Tiffany, the Republican), and (David Crowley, the Democrat), would you vote for (Tom Tiffany) or for (David Crowley) or haven’t you decided? | |||
The survey was conducted Aug. 12-20, 2026, interviewing 891 Wisconsin registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points. For likely voters, the sample size is 738 with a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percentage points.
Despite the Democratic advantage in reported likelihood of voting, more Republicans say they are very enthusiastic about voting, 55%, than Democrats, 49%, among registered voters. This margin is higher among likely voters, with 66% of Republicans enthusiastic as opposed to 58% among Democrats.
This gap in Democratic enthusiasm may reflect less enthusiasm among supporters of State Rep. Francesca Hong, who narrowly lost the primary race for the Democratic nomination to Crowley. Among Democratic registered voters with a favorable opinion of Hong, 52% are very enthusiastic about voting, while among those favorable to Crowley, 63% are very enthusiastic. Similarly, among Democrats favorable to former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who dropped out of the race before the primary, 61% are very enthusiastic. This lessened enthusiasm among those favorable to Hong does not result in more support for Tiffany in the governor’s race, with 98% of Democrats favorable to Hong voting for Crowley and none crossing over to vote for Tiffany.
In the legislative races for state Senate and Assembly, 48% of likely voters say they will vote for the Democratic candidate, while 45% say they will vote for the Republican. As with the vote for governor, this legislative vote is tied at 44% each among all registered voters.
Views of candidates
Crowley is viewed favorably by 33% and unfavorably by 29%, while a substantial 38% say they haven’t heard enough about him. Tiffany is seen favorably by 39% and unfavorably by 42%, with 18% unable to say.
The candidates for attorney general are far less well known than either of the candidates for governor, with 61% saying they haven’t heard enough about Democratic incumbent Josh Kaul and 80% unable to give an opinion of Republican challenger Eric Toney. Among those with opinions, both candidates are viewed a bit more favorably than unfavorably.
These favorability opinions are shown, along with views of Hong and Barnes, in Table 2.
Table 2: Favorability of gubernatorial and Attorney General candidates
Among registered voters
| Candidate | |||||
| Name ID | Net Fav | Favorable | Unfavorable | Haven’t heard enough | |
| David Crowley | 62 | 4 | 33 | 29 | 38 |
| Tom Tiffany | 81 | -3 | 39 | 42 | 18 |
| Francesca Hong | 79 | -27 | 26 | 53 | 21 |
| Mandela Barnes | 61 | -19 | 21 | 40 | 37 |
| Josh Kaul | 36 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 61 |
| Eric Toney | 18 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 80 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey Aug. 12-20, 2026 | |||||
| Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of [INSERT NAME] or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?) | |||||
| Note: Name ID is the percentage that have either a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the candidate. Net favorable is the percentage favorable minus the percentage unfavorable. | |||||
Most registered voters see themselves toward the center of the political spectrum rather than at either ideological extreme. Equal numbers say they are either very conservative, 10%, or very liberal, 10%. Thirty-one percent say they are conservative, and 15% say they are liberal. Just over a third, 34%, describe themselves as moderate.
In contrast to how voters see themselves, they place Tiffany well to the right ideologically and Crowley somewhat less far to the left. More are unable to place Crowley than are unable to place Tiffany.
Tiffany is described as very conservative by 37%, conservative by 39%, and moderate by 5%. Very few say he is liberal, while 15% say they haven’t heard enough to place him ideologically.
For Crowley, 16% say he is very liberal, with 32% calling him liberal and 23% saying he is moderate. Few consider him conservative, but 26% say they haven’t heard enough. These results are shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Ideology of respondent and of candidates
Among registered voters
| Who | Ideology | |||||
| Very conservative | Conservative | Moderate | Liberal | Very liberal | Haven’t heard enough | |
| Self-placement | 10 | 31 | 34 | 15 | 10 | NA |
| Tiffany | 37 | 39 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 15 |
| Crowley | 1 | 2 | 23 | 32 | 16 | 26 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||||
| Question: In general, would you describe your political views as… | ||||||
| Question: In general, would you describe [candidate name] as…? | ||||||
Tiffany is described as a MAGA Republican by 69% and as not a MAGA Republican by 28%, with 2% who don’t know. Among those who think of themselves as a member of the MAGA movement, 72% say Tiffany is also a MAGA Republican. That is only slightly more than the 69% of non-MAGA Republicans who see Tiffany as a MAGA Republican. Among all registered voters, 24% say they are members of the MAGA movement.
Hong is seen as a democratic socialist by 84% of registered voters, and as a socialist by 91% of those who describe themselves as democratic socialists. Those who do not identify themselves as socialists are less inclined to describe Hong as a socialist, with 82% of these respondents saying Hong is a democratic socialist. Among all registered voters, 19% think of themselves as democratic socialists.
Views of the parties
The Republican Party is seen more favorably than the Democratic Party by registered voters, with 42% favorable to Republicans and 35% favorable to Democrats. There is a difference in favorability within the parties that accounts for much of this gap. Among Republicans, 85% are favorable to their party, while 74% of Democrats feel favorable to their party. Each is extremely negative toward the other party, while independents are slightly more favorable to the Democratic than the Republican party. This unease within the Democratic party has accounted for much of the overall worse opinion of the Democratic Party throughout polling this year. The favorability ratings by party are shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Favorability to political parties
Among registered voters
| Party ID | Favorability | |||
| Net Fav | Favorable | Unfavorable | Haven’t heard enough | |
| The Republican Party | ||||
| Among all registered voters | -11 | 42 | 53 | 5 |
| Republican | 73 | 85 | 12 | 2 |
| Independent | -39 | 18 | 57 | 22 |
| Democrat | -96 | 1 | 97 | 2 |
| The Democratic Party | ||||
| Among all registered voters | -24 | 35 | 59 | 6 |
| Republican | -95 | 2 | 97 | 1 |
| Independent | -31 | 22 | 53 | 24 |
| Democrat | 53 | 74 | 21 | 5 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of [INSERT NAME] or haven’t you heard enough about them yet? | ||||
| Note: Net favorable is the percentage favorable minus the percentage unfavorable. | ||||
Among registered voters, 49% say the Republican party in Wisconsin is too conservative, while 33% say it is about right. For the Democratic party, 52% say it is too liberal, with 26% saying it is about right. Among Republicans, 58% say the Republican party is about right for them, while 47% of Democrats say their party is about right.
Table 5 shows how partisans feel about the ideological lean of each party, with more Democrats saying their party is too moderate or too conservative, 40%, than Republicans saying their party is too moderate or liberal, 25%.
Table 5: Perception of party ideology, by party identification
Among registered voters
| Party ID | Party ideology | |||
| Too conservative | Too moderate | Too liberal | About right for me | |
| Republican party | ||||
| Among all registered voters | 49 | 10 | 7 | 33 |
| Republican | 16 | 16 | 9 | 58 |
| Independent | 47 | 9 | 6 | 34 |
| Democrat | 87 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Democratic party | ||||
| Among all registered voters | 7 | 12 | 52 | 26 |
| Republican | 1 | 1 | 93 | 4 |
| Independent | 5 | 10 | 40 | 37 |
| Democrat | 14 | 26 | 12 | 47 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: As far as you are concerned, is the Republican party in Wisconsin (too conservative), (too moderate), or (too liberal) or is it about right for you? | ||||
| Question: As far as you are concerned, is the Democratic party in Wisconsin (too conservative), (too moderate), or (too liberal) or is it about right for you? | ||||
Wisconsinites see the parties as helping the working class and the middle class about equally, but a substantial majority say the Republicans are doing more for the upper class. About a third say neither party does much for either the working class or the middle class.
Among partisans, around two-thirds of registered voters say their own party does more for the working and middle classes, while seeing the other party as doing little. Among independents, more than two-thirds say neither party does much to help the working or middle class.
As for helping the upper class, more people of each party see this as something the Republican party does more.
These results are shown in Table 6.
Table 6: Which party helps working, middle, and upper classes, by party identification
Among registered voters
| Party ID | Which party helps | ||
| Democratic Party | Republican Party | Neither does much | |
| Helps working class | |||
| Among all registered voters | 34 | 31 | 34 |
| Republican | 4 | 66 | 28 |
| Independent | 24 | 3 | 70 |
| Democrat | 70 | 1 | 29 |
| Helps middle class | |||
| Among all registered voters | 31 | 30 | 38 |
| Republican | 4 | 63 | 31 |
| Independent | 26 | 4 | 69 |
| Democrat | 62 | 1 | 37 |
| Helps upper class | |||
| Among all registered voters | 11 | 62 | 24 |
| Republican | 22 | 39 | 37 |
| Independent | 6 | 48 | 40 |
| Democrat | 2 | 92 | 6 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Aug. 12-20, 2026 | |||
| Question: Does the (Democratic party) or the (Republican party) do more to help working-class people, or does neither party do much to help working-class people? | |||
| Question: Does the (Democratic party) or the (Republican party) do more to help middle-class people, or does neither party do much to help middle-class people? | |||
| Question: Does the (Democratic party) or the (Republican party) do more to help upper-class people, or does neither party do much to help upper-class people? | |||
Most important issues
Inflation and the cost of living remains by far the most frequently cited problem facing voters, with 43% saying it is most important to them. Immigration and border security is a distant second at 12%. The next four issues are each related to the cost of living, including health insurance, jobs and the economy, property taxes, and the affordability of housing. Ranking the lowest are data centers, abortion policy, public schools, and crime in the respondent’s community.
When asked which is the second-most important issue, inflation and the cost of living remains at the top, followed by jobs and the economy, health insurance, immigration and border security, and property taxes, again demonstrating the salience of issues related to expenses and financial issues. These ratings are shown in Table 7.
Table 7: Most important issue
Among registered voters
| Issue | ||
| Percent most important | Percent 2nd most important | |
| Inflation and the cost of living | 43 | 19 |
| Illegal immigration and border security | 12 | 11 |
| Health insurance | 10 | 13 |
| Jobs and the economy | 7 | 17 |
| Property taxes | 6 | 9 |
| Affordability of housing | 6 | 8 |
| Data centers | 5 | 7 |
| Abortion policy | 4 | 5 |
| Public schools | 3 | 5 |
| Crime in your community | 1 | 5 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||
| Question: Which one of the following issues matters MOST to you right now? | ||
| Question: And which is the second most important issue to you right now? | ||
Specific economic concerns echo the general concern about economic circumstances. During the second term of President Donald Trump, the percentage of Wisconsin voters saying they are better off—rather than worse off—improved from February 2025 to February 2026 but has taken a downward turn since then. In this poll, 20% say they are better off than a year ago, while 38% say they are worse off. This is slightly improved from July, but notably worse than in February 2026. The changes in this condition are shown in Table 8.
Table 8: Better or worse off than a year ago
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Better or worse off | |||
| Net better-worse | Better | About the same | Worse | |
| 8/12-20/26 | -17 | 20 | 42 | 38 |
| 7/8-16/26 | -21 | 18 | 43 | 39 |
| 3/11-18/26 | -6 | 26 | 43 | 32 |
| 2/11-19/26 | 3 | 32 | 38 | 30 |
| 10/15-22/25 | -3 | 28 | 42 | 30 |
| 2/19-26/25 | -10 | 21 | 49 | 31 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: Would you say you personally are better off, about the same, or worse off than you were a year ago? | ||||
A large majority, 69%, think inflation will increase over the next 12 months. Just 9% think it will decrease, and 21% think it will remain the same. Republicans are more optimistic than independents or Democrats, but even 43% of Republicans think inflation will rise, with only 19% saying it will decline. These expectations by party identification are shown in Table 9.
Table 9: Inflation expectation over next 12 months, by party identification
Among registered voters
| Party ID | Inflation expectation | |||
| Net increase-decrease | Increase | Decrease | Stay about the same | |
| Among all registered voters | 60 | 69 | 9 | 21 |
| Republican | 24 | 43 | 19 | 38 |
| Independent | 80 | 83 | 3 | 14 |
| Democrat | 93 | 94 | 1 | 5 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: Over the next 12 months do you think inflation and the cost of living will increase, decrease or stay about the same? | ||||
More than half of registered voters in each Marquette Law School Poll since June 2025 have said they think Trump’s policies will increase inflation, but this perception has grown over time as the number of those saying his policies will decrease inflation has declined. A brief increase in optimism about Trump’s influence on inflation was seen in February, days before the start of the war with Iran, with steady decline since then, as shown in Table 10.
Table 10: Effect of Trump policies on inflation
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Trump policy effect | |||
| Net increase-decrease | Decrease inflation | Increase inflation | Have no effect on inflation | |
| 8/12-20/26 | 37 | 23 | 60 | 16 |
| 7/8-16/26 | 33 | 26 | 59 | 14 |
| 3/11-18/26 | 31 | 28 | 59 | 12 |
| 2/11-19/26 | 18 | 35 | 53 | 11 |
| 10/15-22/25 | 27 | 30 | 57 | 12 |
| 6/13-19/25 | 24 | 31 | 55 | 12 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: Do you think Trump’s policy proposals will decrease inflation, increase inflation, or have no effect on inflation? | ||||
Views of the price of gasoline during the six months before each poll have dramatically changed from before the Iran war began to the present. In February, before the war started, 50% said the price they paid for gas had gone down and only 18% said the price had increased. In August, that is dramatically different, with 81% saying the price has gone up and just 7% saying it has gone down. What had been a bright spot in contributions to the cost of living in February is now one of the worst perceptions in views of the cost of living, as shown in Table 11.
Table 11: Change in gasoline prices
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Gas prices | |||
| Net gone up-gone down | Gone down | Stayed about the same | Gone up | |
| 8/12-20/26 | 74 | 7 | 11 | 81 |
| 2/11-19/26 | -32 | 50 | 31 | 18 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: How has the price you pay for gasoline changed over the last six months? | ||||
Perception of the cost of groceries during the six months before each poll has changed less than that of gas prices but has also shown a growing sense of increased prices. After a small improvement from October 2025 to February 2026, in August the percentage saying grocery prices have gone up has reached 81%, matching the view of gas prices. This trend is shown in Table 12.
Table 12: Change in grocery prices
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Grocery prices | |||
| Net gone up-gone down | Gone down | Stayed about the same | Gone up | |
| 8/12-20/26 | 77 | 4 | 15 | 81 |
| 2/11-19/26 | 57 | 11 | 21 | 68 |
| 10/15-22/25 | 65 | 11 | 13 | 76 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: How has the price you pay for groceries changed over the last six months? | ||||
National issues
Trump’s job approval in August stands at 40%, while disapproval is at 59%. This is the same approval level as in July, while disapproval has increased one percentage point, from 58%. This ties the record low of approval in either Trump’s first or second terms, and is a new record low for his net approval, at -19 percentage points. The trend in the second term is shown in Table 13.
Table 13: Trump job approval in second term
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Job approval | ||
| Net | Approve | Disapprove | |
| 8/12-20/26 | -19 | 40 | 59 |
| 7/8-16/26 | -18 | 40 | 58 |
| 3/11-18/26 | -14 | 42 | 56 |
| 2/11-19/26 | -10 | 44 | 54 |
| 10/15-22/25 | -7 | 46 | 53 |
| 6/13-19/25 | -5 | 47 | 52 |
| 2/19-26/25 | -3 | 48 | 51 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | |||
| Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president? | |||
The war with Iran is seen quite negatively, as 14% say the United States has achieved its goals in the war and 86% say it has not achieved those goals. In July, 14% said the goals had been achieved and 85% said they had not been.
A somewhat larger minority, 30%, say the war has been worth the cost, while 70% say it has not been. In July, 29% said the war was worth the cost and 71% said it was not.
Opinion about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is enforcing immigration laws has hardly changed since February, with 43% approving and 57% disapproving. In February, 44% approved and 56% disapproved.
State issues
Data centers
Opposition to data centers inched up further from July to August, with 78% now saying the costs outweigh the benefits, slightly up from 76% in July. The trend in views of data centers since October 2025 is shown in Table 14.
Table 14: Benefits vs costs of data centers
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Benefits vs costs | |
| The benefits of the data centers outweigh the costs | The costs of the data centers outweigh the benefits | |
| 8/12-20/26 | 21 | 78 |
| 7/8-16/26 | 22 | 76 |
| 3/11-18/26 | 30 | 69 |
| 2/11-19/26 | 29 | 70 |
| 10/15-22/25 | 44 | 55 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||
| Question: There are several large data centers being proposed or under construction in Wisconsin. Which comes closer to your opinion, even if neither is exactly right: | ||
| Oct. Question: There are several large data centers being proposed or under construction in Wisconsin, though Microsoft recently announced it would not build one after facing community opposition. Which comes closer to your opinion, even if neither is exactly right: | ||
Majorities of Republicans, independents, and Democrats all say the costs outweigh the benefits of data centers. Opposition has increased among independents and Democrats since July, with only a slight decline in opposition among Republicans, as shown in Table 15.
Table 15: Costs and benefits of data centers, by party identification
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Costs outweigh benefits of data centers | ||
| Republican | Independent | Democrat | |
| 8/12-20/26 | 64 | 80 | 94 |
| 7/8-16/26 | 67 | 71 | 88 |
| 3/11-18/26 | 62 | 69 | 77 |
| 2/11-19/26 | 55 | 76 | 85 |
| 10/15-22/25 | 53 | 55 | 56 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | |||
| Question: There are several large data centers being proposed or under construction in Wisconsin. Which comes closer to your opinion, even if neither is exactly right: | |||
| Question: October wording: There are several large data centers being proposed or under construction in Wisconsin, though Microsoft recently announced it would not build one after facing community opposition. Which comes closer to your opinion, even if neither is exactly right: | |||
A majority, 67%, favor a ban on data center construction for at least one year, and 33% oppose this. Republicans are almost evenly split on a pause in construction, while substantial majorities of independents and Democrats favor halting construction of data centers, as shown in Table 16.
Table 16: Ban data center construction for a year, by party identification
Among registered voters
| Party ID | Ban construction | |
| Favor | Oppose | |
| Among all registered voters | 67 | 33 |
| Republican | 53 | 46 |
| Independent | 67 | 33 |
| Democrat | 83 | 17 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||
| Question: Do you favor or oppose a ban on data center construction for at least a year? | ||
School funding and property taxes
A majority (58%) says that it is more important to reduce property taxes than to increase funding for K-12 schools (42%). Between 50% and 60% have said property taxes are more important in 11 Marquette Law School Poll surveys since June 2023. Prior to that, a majority said that school funding was more important in 16 polls from April 2015 through October 2022.
While voters think reducing property taxes should be a priority, 47% say schools are getting too little funding from the state, 39% say there is enough state funding, and 14% say schools are getting more than is needed.
Opinion is divided on Gov. Tony Evers’ 2024 partial veto which required increases in per-pupil spending limits for the next 400 years. Forty-eight percent say this was necessary to support schools, while 51% say this will mean tax increases for centuries. Partisans are sharply divided on this, with 86% of Republicans saying this will require continuing tax increases and 89% of Democrats saying it was necessary to support schools. Independents are evenly divided, with 46% saying it is necessary and 46% saying it requires ongoing tax increases.
Among registered voters, 53% say they are very or somewhat satisfied with the job their local public schools are doing, while 46% are very or somewhat dissatisfied. Satisfaction declined from a high of 81% in March 2013 to a stable range of 60% to 69% from 2021 to February 2026. Satisfaction has declined from 64% in February this year to 59% in March, to 55% in July, and to 53% in August.
Sixty percent say public schools need to be held more accountable for student performance, while 40% say the schools are doing the best they can with the resources they have.
Opinion is close to evenly divided on the school voucher program that provides state funding for students to attend private or religious schools, as 48% would like to see the voucher program eliminated and 51% want to see it continued. Partisan differences are substantial, but not as large on this issue as on some others, with 68% of Republicans favoring continuing the voucher program and 68% of Democrats wanting the program eliminated. Independents are nearly evenly divided, with 49% favoring continuation and 50% favoring elimination of vouchers.
- Budget surplus: The public is about evenly divided over whether to return the entire state budget surplus to taxpayers, supported by 46%, or whether to use the surplus to pay for state and local services, favored by 53%. A majority of Republicans, 69%, favor returning the surplus to taxpayers, while majorities of independents, 60%, and Democrats, 77%, prefer to see the money spent for state and local services.
- Millionaire tax: A special additional tax on millionaires is favored by 59%, with 41% opposed. Among Republicans, 72% oppose such a tax, while 71% of independents and 92% of Democrats favor an additional tax on the wealthy.
- Parental leave: A sizable majority, 78%, favor requiring businesses to provide paid family leave for new mothers and fathers, while 22% are opposed. Opinion on this has been stable across four polls since 2022, with between 73% and 78% in favor in each poll. Majorities in each partisan group favor requiring a paid-leave policy, with 64% of Republicans, 79% of independents, and 93% of Democrats in favor.
- Act 10: A slim majority, 54%, favor returning collective bargaining for public employees to what it was before Act 10, the 2011 law that eliminated most such collective bargaining, while 43% want to keep the law as it is now. A large majority of Democrats, 84%, want to see Act 10 repealed, while 65% of Republicans want to keep the law. Independents are divided with 50% in favor of keeping the law and 46% favoring repeal.
Crime and policing
A large majority (86%) say they feel safe going about their daily activities, while 14% say they worry about their safety. There is little partisan difference in feeling safe, with 86% of Republicans, 89% of Democrats, and 79% of independents saying they feel safe. There is some variation by type of place, with 79% of residents of the principal cities of urban areas, 87% of those in suburbs, 94% of those in exurbs and large towns, and 87% of those living in small towns or rural areas feeling safe.
There is a strong majority (84%) in favor of policies to require greater accountability for police misconduct, with 16% opposed. This opinion crosses party lines, with 72% of Republicans, 93% of independents, and 94% of Democrats favoring greater accountability.
In Madison on July 22, Corey Ruiz was fatally shot by Madison police officers during an attempted arrest. This shooting is seen by 33% as justified by the circumstances and not justified by 25%, while 41% say they haven’t heard enough to say. In the Madison media market, 37% say the shooting was justified, 32% say it was not justified and 30% haven’t heard enough to say. Across the rest of the state, a greater number (44%) have not heard enough to say, while 32% say the shooting was justified and 23% say not justified.
Social issues
In the August poll, 28% say abortion should be legal in all cases, 35% say legal in most cases, 29% say illegal in most cases, and 7% say illegal in all cases. The percentage saying legal in all or most cases has ranged from 62% to 68% in 11 Marquette Law School Poll surveys taken since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the United States Supreme Court in June 2022.
In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. This ruling is favored by 71% and opposed by 27% of registered voters. Republicans are closely divided on this, with 50% in favor of the ruling and 48% opposed. The ruling is favored by 79% of independents and 91% of Democrats, while there is opposition to same-sex marriage from 16% of independents and 9% of Democrats.
Seventy-six percent say that transgender athletes should be allowed to play only on teams that match their gender at birth, while 22% say they should play on the team that matches their current gender identity. On this question, 99% of Republicans and 82% of independents say transgender athletes should play on teams that match their birth gender. Democrats are closely divided, with 50% saying teams should match birth gender and 47% saying teams should match current gender identity.
Election administration
Asked whether proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, should be required in order to register to vote, 69% are in favor, while 31% are opposed. Among Republicans, 96% favor requiring proof of citizenship, as do 73% of independents, while 60% of Democrats are opposed.
Confidence in the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin has changed only slightly since 2021. The number of those not at all confident had risen from 16% in August 2021 to 23% in April 2022, but has since declined to 12% in the current poll. There has been an increase in those not too confident, from 15% in August 2021 to 21% in the current poll. Those very confident in the accuracy of the election have declined from 48% to 41% over that interval, while those somewhat confident has increased from 19% to 27%. Combining “very” and “somewhat” confident, on the one hand, and “not too” or “not at all” confident, on the other, there has been little change. Thus combined, in the current survey, 68% are confident and 32% are not confident, while 67% were confident and 31% were not confident in August 2021.
Approval of governor, legislature, and Wisconsin Supreme Court
Approval of the job Evers is doing as governor declined by one point, to 50%, from 51% in July, with disapproval rising to 45% from 44%. Evers’ approval since February 2025 is shown in Table 17.
Table 17: Evers job approval
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Approval | |||
| Net | Approve | Disapprove | Don’t know | |
| 8/12-20/26 | 5 | 50 | 45 | 5 |
| 7/8-16/26 | 7 | 51 | 44 | 5 |
| 3/11-18/26 | 0 | 47 | 47 | 6 |
| 2/11-19/26 | 4 | 49 | 45 | 6 |
| 10/15-22/25 | 5 | 50 | 45 | 5 |
| 6/13-19/25 | 2 | 48 | 46 | 5 |
| 2/19-26/25 | 5 | 49 | 44 | 6 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Tony Evers is handling his job as Governor of Wisconsin? | ||||
Approval of how the Wisconsin legislature is handling its job rose to 37% from 36% in July, with disapproval declining to 50% from 53%. The trend since February 2025 for approval of the legislature is in Table 18.
Table 18: Legislature job approval
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Approval | |||
| Net | Approve | Disapprove | Don’t know | |
| 8/12-20/26 | -13 | 37 | 50 | 13 |
| 7/8-16/26 | -17 | 36 | 53 | 11 |
| 3/11-18/26 | -9 | 39 | 48 | 13 |
| 2/11-19/26 | -3 | 41 | 44 | 15 |
| 10/15-22/25 | -11 | 39 | 50 | 11 |
| 6/13-19/25 | -9 | 41 | 50 | 10 |
| 2/19-26/25 | -11 | 38 | 49 | 13 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way the Wisconsin legislature is handling its job? | ||||
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has held a net positive approval rating in polling since 2023, with approval at 47% and disapproval at 36% in August. That is a decline in approval from 50% in July, while disapproval also declined from 38%. In August, more said they don’t know about the court (17%) than in July (12%). The full trend is shown in Table 19.
Table 19: Wisconsin Supreme Court job approval
Among registered voters
| Poll dates | Approval | |||
| Net | Approve | Disapprove | Don’t know | |
| 8/12-20/26 | 11 | 47 | 36 | 17 |
| 7/8-16/26 | 12 | 50 | 38 | 12 |
| 3/11-18/26 | 9 | 46 | 37 | 17 |
| 2/11-19/26 | 15 | 49 | 34 | 16 |
| 10/15-22/25 | 6 | 45 | 39 | 15 |
| 6/13-19/25 | 11 | 49 | 38 | 13 |
| 2/19-26/25 | 9 | 46 | 37 | 16 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way the Wisconsin state Supreme Court is handling its job? | ||||
Favorability of political figures
Evers is seen favorably by 47% and unfavorably by 46%. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is seen more unfavorably, with 40% favorable and 48% unfavorable, as is Sen. Ron Johnson, with 38% favorable and 47% unfavorable.
Among national figures, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have similar net negative favorability, though Rubio is considerably less well known. Trump has the most negative net favorability rating.
The full set of favorability ratings is shown in Table 20.
Table 20: Favorability to state and national political figures
Among registered voters
| Political figure | Favorability | |||
| Net Fav | Favorable | Unfavorable | Haven’t heard enough | |
| Tony Evers | 1 | 47 | 46 | 7 |
| Tammy Baldwin | -8 | 40 | 48 | 12 |
| Ron Johnson | -9 | 38 | 47 | 14 |
| Marco Rubio | -9 | 35 | 44 | 20 |
| JD Vance | -10 | 41 | 51 | 7 |
| Donald Trump | -19 | 40 | 59 | 1 |
| Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey Aug. 12-20, 2026 | ||||
| Note: Net favorable is the percentage favorable minus the percentage unfavorable. | ||||
About the Marquette Law School Poll
The Marquette Law School Poll is the most extensive statewide polling project in Wisconsin history. This survey was conducted Aug. 12-20, 2026, interviewing 891 Wisconsin registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-4 percentage points. For likely voters, the sample size is 738, with a margin of error of +/-4.5 percentage points. To cover more subjects, some items were asked of random half-samples of 445 and 446 registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-5.7 percentage points.
Half-sample items:
- Data centers — benefits vs. costs
- Favor/oppose a moratorium on data center construction
- Favor/oppose mandatory paid family leave
- Satisfaction with local public schools
- Reduce property taxes vs. increase school spending
- Adequacy of state school funding
- Opinion of Evers’ 400-year school-funding veto
- Return budget surplus to taxpayers vs. fund services
- Favor/oppose a millionaire’s tax
- Act 10 — restore or keep current collective bargaining limits
- Eliminate or continue the private-school voucher program
- School accountability vs. schools doing their best with resources
- Support/oppose greater police accountability
- Feel safe from crime vs. worried
- Opinion on the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz in Madison
- Abortion legality (4-point scale)
- Favor/oppose the Obergefell same-sex marriage ruling
- Transgender athletes — play by gender identity or birth gender
- Favor/oppose proof-of-citizenship voter registration requirement
- Confidence in 2020 Wisconsin vote count accuracy
- Approval of ICE immigration enforcement
- Effect of Trump policies on inflation
- U.S. goals achieved / worth the cost in the Iran war
The survey was conducted with a hybrid sample of 664 respondents selected from the Wisconsin voter registration list and 227 selected from the SSRS Opinion Panel, a sample drawn from postal addresses across the state and invited to take part in surveys online. The interview was conducted online with 797 respondents and with 94 by telephone with a live interviewer. Full details of the methodology are contained in the methodology statement at the link below.
The partisan makeup of the sample is 36% Republican, 32% Democratic, and 32% independent. When independents who lean to a party are counted as partisans the sample is 46% Republican, 42% Democratic, and 13% independent. In all polls conducted in 2025 and 2026, the combined samples were 36% Republican, 32% Democratic, and 32% independent. Counting independents who lean to a party as partisans, the 2025-26 samples were 46% Republican, 42% Democratic, and 13% independent.
The entire questionnaire, methodology statement, full results and breakdowns by demographic groups are available on the Marquette Law School Poll website.