New Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds Trump approval at recent high and Biden approval at all-time low; policy issues also surveyed

Also:

  • Views of the economy improve, though personal finances are unchanged
  • Public split on Trump cabinet appointments, while a large majority think Senate should take time to hold hearings
  • Majority is concerned that tariffs will hurt the economy and divided on whether Trump policies will increase inflation
  • More than three-quarters favor requiring transgender athletes to play on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth

MILWAUKEE – A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds 53% of adults nationwide say they approve of the way President-elect Donald Trump handled his job when he was president from 2017 to 2021, an increase from 50% who approved in October. Forty-seven percent say they disapprove, down from 50% in October. This is Trump’s highest approval rating since March, when this question of retrospective approval was first asked in the Marquette Law School Poll’s national surveys.

President Joe Biden’s approval declined in December to 34%, down from 38% in October, with disapproval in December standing at 66%, an increase from 62% in October.

The survey was conducted Dec. 2-11, 2024, interviewing 1,063 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of +/-3.6 percentage points. (All results in the tables are stated as percentages.)

Approval of Trump and of Biden is shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Approval of President and President-Elect

Among adults

NameApproval
NetApproveDisapprove
Joe Biden-323466
Donald Trump65347
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president?
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump handled his job when he was president?

Approval of Trump cabinet appointments

Approval of Trump’s handling of cabinet appointments is slightly less than his overall approval. For his cabinet appointments, 49% approve and 51% disapprove, shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Approval of Trump handling of cabinet appointments

Among national adults

Poll datesApproval
NetApproveDisapprove
12/2-11/24-24951
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way President-elect Donald Trump is handling cabinet appointments for his administration?

Those who say they have heard a lot about his cabinet choices approve slightly less at 47%, while 51% of those who have heard a little approve and 52% of those who have heard nothing at all approve.

The majority of the public (73%) think the Senate should take time to hold hearings on Trump’s nominees,  while 27% say the Senate should quickly approve all of Trump’s choices. A slight majority (52%) of Republicans say the Senate should take time for hearings, while large majorities of independents (84%) and Democrats (93%) say this.

Strong disapproval of Hunter Biden pardon

Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter Biden is very unpopular, with 29% who approve and 71% who disapprove, as shown in Table 3. Only a slim majority (53%) of Democrats approve of the pardon, while large majorities of independents (77%) and Republicans (92%) disapprove.

Table 3: Approval of Hunter Biden pardon

Among national adults

Poll datesApproval
NetApproveDisapprove
12/2-11/24-422971
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: How much do you approve or disapprove of President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted of federal charges for illegally buying a gun and who pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

Trump approval trend

The trend in approval of how Trump handled his job when he was president is shown in Table 4. There has been an increase in approval since May, with December showing a positive net approval for the first time in this period.

Table 4: Trump Approval trend

Among adults

Poll datesApproval
NetApproveDisapprove
12/2-11/2465347
10/1-10/2405050
7/24-8/1/24-24951
5/6-15/24-64753
3/18-28/24-24951
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump handled his job when he was president?

Biden approval trend

Biden’s job approval has fallen in December after a lengthy period of net negative—but stable—approval. Table 5 shows his full job approval ratings since taking office in Marquette Law School Poll surveys. His approval rating has been below 40% in all polls since September 2023.

Table 5: Biden approval trend

Among adults

Poll datesApproval
NetApproveDisapprove
12/2-11/24-323466
10/1-10/24-243862
7/24-8/1/24-303565
5/6-15/24-223961
3/18-28/24-263763
2/5-15/24-263763
11/2-7/23-263763
9/18-25/23-223961
7/7-12/23-154257
5/8-18/23-223961
3/13-22/23-223961
1/9-20/23-134356
11/15-22/22-104555
9/7-14/22-104555
7/5-12/22-283664
5/9-19/22-154257
3/14-24/22-114455
1/10-21/22-74653
11/1-10/21-24951
9/7-16/21-44852
7/16-26/21165842
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president?

Favorability

Trump’s favorable rating stands at its highest, at 49%, since a low point in November 2021; 50% are unfavorable. In October, 44% were favorable to Trump and 55% were unfavorable. In the November 2021 poll, his favorability was just 32% with 65% unfavorable.

Biden is seen favorably by 37% in December and unfavorably by 62%.

Vice President Kamala Harris has a favorable rating of 41% and an unfavorable rating of 57%. This is a decline from October when 46% were favorable and 51% were unfavorable.

Vice President-elect J.D. Vance is seen favorably by 35% and unfavorably by 47%. In October, his favorable rating was 30% and his unfavorable rating was 45%.

Favorability for each of these is shown in Table 6.

Table 6: Favorability to President and Vice President

Among adults

NameFavorability
NetFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
Joe Biden-2537621
Kamala Harris-1641573
Donald Trump-149501
J.D. Vance-12354718
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following people or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?

Trump favorability trend

Trump’s long term favorability trend is shown in Table 7. His net favorability has climbed from a low of -35 points in January 2022 to the current -1, his best in Marquette national polling.

Table 7: Trump favorability trend

Among adults

Poll datesFavorability
NetFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
12/2-11/24-149501
10/1-10/24-1144551
7/24-8/1/24-646522
5/6-15/24-1641572
3/18-28/24-1044542
2/5-15/24-1044542
11/2-7/23-1442562
9/18-25/23-1442562
7/7-12/23-2835632
5/8-18/23-2337603
3/13-22/23-2735623
1/9-20/23-2934633
11/15-22/22-3432662
9/7-14/22-3034642
7/5-12/22-2834624
5/9-19/22-2635613
3/14-24/22-2536613
1/10-21/22-3532671
11/1-10/21-3332653
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following people or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?


Biden favorability trend

Biden’s long-term favorability trend is shown in Table 8. Biden’s net favorability has fallen from a slightly negative -4 in November 2021 to his current -25, his worst rating in Marquette polls.

Table 8: Biden favorability trend

Among adults

Poll datesFavorability
NetFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
12/2-11/24-2537621
10/1-10/24-1939583
7/24-8/1/24-2238602
5/6-15/24-1840582
3/18-28/24-2238602
2/5-15/24-2238602
11/2-7/23-2337602
9/18-25/23-2039592
7/7-12/23-1442562
5/8-18/23-2236585
3/13-22/23-2237594
1/9-20/23-1341544
11/15-22/22-1043533
9/7-14/22-1143543
7/5-12/22-2834624
5/9-19/22-1540554
3/14-24/22-944533
1/10-21/22-645514
11/1-10/21-445496
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following people or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?

Harris favorability trend

Harris’s long-term favorability trend is shown in Table 9. Since losing the presidential election, her net favorability has declined from her all-time highs of July and October, though not falling to the levels of the winter and spring before she became the Democratic nominee.

Table 9: Harris favorability trend

Among adults

Poll datesFavorability
NetFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
12/2-11/24-1641573
10/1-10/24-546513
7/24-8/1/24-545505
5/6-15/24-23335611
3/18-28/24-2433579
2/5-15/24-18355311
11/2-7/23-26325810
9/18-25/23-17365311
7/7-12/23-21345511
5/8-18/23-25315613
3/13-22/23-23315416
1/9-20/23-22325413
11/15-22/22-16345016
9/7-14/22-16365213
1/10-21/22-12374914
11/1-10/21-8384616
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following people or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?

Vance favorability trend

Limited polling on Vance shows his net favorability has increased, although it remains net negative. Those who say they haven’t heard enough about him has declined since he became the Republican nominee for vice president. The trend is shown in Table 10.

Table 10: Vance favorability trend

Among adults

Poll datesFavorability
NetFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
12/2-11/24-12354718
10/1-10/24-15304525
7/24-8/1/24-16274330
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following people or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?

Favorability to cabinet nominees

Trump’s nominees for cabinet positions are not well known, compared to how well-known presidents or vice presidents are.

  • Sen. Marco Rubio, the nominee for secretary of state, has a net positive favorability rating and is the second best known, with 39% holding a favorable opinion, 36% holding an unfavorable opinion, and 25% saying they don’t know enough to have an opinion of him.
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee to lead Health and Human Services, is the best known of the cabinet picks, with 11% not having heard enough about him. His net favorability is at zero, with equal favorable and unfavorable ratings of 44%.
  • Pete Hegseth, the nominee for defense secretary, has the largest net negative rating of -10, with 27% favorable, 37% unfavorable, and 37% saying they haven’t heard enough about him.
  • Pam Bondi, nominated for attorney general after former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from the nomination, is the least well known of the four, with 41% saying they haven’t heard enough about her. Her net favorability rating is only slightly negative at -3, with 28% favorable and 31% unfavorable.

The full results are shown in Table 11.

Table 11: Favorability to cabinet nominees

Among adults

NameFavorability
NetFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
Marco Rubio3393625
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.0444411
Pete Hegseth-10273737
Pam Bondi-3283141
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Here are some people President-elect Trump has picked for cabinet positions in his new administration. Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following people or haven’t you heard enough yet to have an opinion?
Question: Marco Rubio for Secretary of State
Question: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services
Question: Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense
Question: Pam Bondi for Attorney General

State of the economy and family finances

While the public generally sees the economy in negative terms, the most negative views of the economy decreased in December. In this survey, 21% say the economy is poor, which is a 10-point decrease from 31% in October. This is the smallest percentage calling the economy poor in Marquette Law School Poll national surveys since September 2023.

Those seeing the economy as excellent or good increased to 29%, and those saying it is not so good rose to 50%. The full trend is shown in Table 12.

Table 12: Views of the national economy

Among adults

Poll datesNational economy
ExcellentGoodNot so goodPoor
12/2-11/244255021
10/1-10/243214531
7/24-8/1/243273535
5/6-15/243264031
3/18-28/244273930
2/5-15/245274126
11/2-7/232224233
9/18-25/233184732
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: How would you describe the state of the nation’s economy these days?

Economic conditions by party identification

The decrease in perceptions of the economy as poor was seen across each partisan category, with the number of Republicans falling 12 points (from 44% to 32%), independents dropping 19 points (44% to 25%), and Democrats declining by 7 points (15% to 8%).

Very few Republicans (11%) or independents (20%) see the economy as excellent or good, although 51% of Democrats see that, as shown in Table 13.

Table 13: Views of the national economy, by party identification

Among adults

Poll datesNational economy
Excellent/goodNot so goodPoor
Republican
12/2-11/24115732
10/1-10/2484744
7/24-8/1/24123849
5/6-15/24104049
3/18-28/24144541
2/5-15/24154639
11/2-7/2394052
9/18-25/2364351
Independent
12/2-11/24205525
10/1-10/24183844
7/24-8/1/24232948
5/6-15/24195130
3/18-28/24184537
2/5-15/24184537
11/2-7/23115138
9/18-25/2385735
Democrat
12/2-11/2451418
10/1-10/24414415
7/24-8/1/24493218
5/6-15/24493714
3/18-28/24533215
2/5-15/2455359
11/2-7/23444214
9/18-25/23384814
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: How would you describe the state of the nation’s economy these days?

Family financial situation

While views of the economy improved, people’s family financial situation barely changed in December. The percentage who said they are struggling declined 3 points from October to 20%, while those saying they are just getting by increased by 1 point to 44%. The percent living comfortably also rose 1 point to 35%. There have not been substantial changes in family finances since September 2023, as shown in Table 14.

Table 14: Family financial situation

Among adults

Poll datesFinancial situation
Living comfortablyJust getting byStruggling
12/2-11/24354420
10/1-10/24344323
7/24-8/1/24364123
5/6-15/24364321
3/18-28/24394318
2/5-15/24374221
11/2-7/23354421
9/18-25/23354719
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Thinking about your family’s financial situation, would you say you are living comfortably, just getting by, or struggling to make ends meet?

Financial situation by party identification

Democrats feel the best about their finances, with 47% living comfortably and 13% struggling. Among Republicans, 30% are comfortable and 25% are struggling. Independents are in the worst financial shape, with 16% living comfortably and 29% struggling. The full results and trends are in Table 15.

Table 15: Family financial situation, by party identification

Among adults

Poll datesFinancial situation
Living comfortablyJust getting byStruggling
Republican
12/2-11/24304525
10/1-10/24334225
7/24-8/1/24344126
5/6-15/24294526
3/18-28/24364716
2/5-15/24334522
11/2-7/23334621
9/18-25/23354421
Independent
12/2-11/24165529
10/1-10/24175726
7/24-8/1/24253837
5/6-15/24234532
3/18-28/24205129
2/5-15/24224336
11/2-7/23164538
9/18-25/23274528
Democrat
12/2-11/24474013
10/1-10/24394120
7/24-8/1/24414217
5/6-15/24464013
3/18-28/24483615
2/5-15/24474013
11/2-7/23434117
9/18-25/23365013
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Thinking about your family’s financial situation, would you say you are living comfortably, just getting by, or struggling to make ends meet?

Tariffs

The public is skeptical that tariffs will help the economy, with 26% saying they will help the economy and 46% saying they will hurt the economy. An additional 13% say tariffs won’t make much difference, and 15% say they don’t know.

Republicans are much more confident that tariffs will help the economy (49%) than are independents (17%) or Democrats (5%). The full table is shown in Table 16. 

Table 16: Tariffs’ effect on the economy, by party identification

Among adults

Party IDEffect of tariffs
Helps U.S. economyHurts U.S. economyDoesn’t make much differenceDon’t know
Republican49191518
Independent17432317
Democrat577710
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: In general, do you think imposing tariffs or fees on products imported from other countries helps the U.S. economy, hurts the economy, or doesn’t make much of a difference either way?

The public is more evenly divided as to whether Trump’s policies will decrease inflation (41%), increase inflation (45%), or have no effect (14%).

A large majority (76%) of Republicans expect Trump’s policies to lower inflation, while 28% of independents expect inflation to fall due to Trump’s policies, along with only 8% of Democrats. The full table is shown in Table 17.

Table 17: Trump policies’ effect on inflation, by party identification

Among adults

Party IDEffect of policy
Decrease inflationIncrease inflationHave no effect on inflation
Republican761114
Independent284328
Democrat88210
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you think Trump’s policy proposals will decrease inflation, increase inflation, or have no effect on inflation?

Immigration policy

The details of public opinion on immigrants who are in the United States illegally depend a great deal on how the question is framed. In the Marquette Law School Poll national surveys, the issue has been asked three different ways.

In March, October and December, one question, mentioning employment, was worded as follows:

Which comes closest to your view about undocumented immigrants who are currently working in the U.S.? – They should be allowed to stay in their jobs and to eventually apply for U.S. citizenship – They should be allowed to stay in their jobs only as temporary guest workers but not to apply for U.S. citizenship – They should be required to leave their jobs and leave the U.S.

In the current poll, 45% favor the policy of undocumented immigrants staying in jobs and eventually applying for citizenship, with 22% saying they should stay only as guest workers but not be able to apply for citizenship and 33% saying they should leave their jobs and the country. These results closely match opinion in March, while the October survey found a modest increase in support for a path to citizenship, as shown in Table 18.

Table 18: Undocumented immigrants currently in U.S.

Among national adults

Poll datesPolicy preference
They should be allowed to stay in their jobs and to eventually apply for U.S. citizenshipThey should be allowed to stay in their jobs only as temporary guest workers but not to apply for U.S. citizenshipThey should be required to leave their jobs and leave the U.S.
12/2-11/24452233
10/1-10/24531929
3/18-28/24452332
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Which comes closest to your view about undocumented immigrants who are currently working in the U.S.?

Support for deporting immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally—a differently phrased question, without mention of employment or length of residence—has been substantial throughout the year but had trended downward from February to October before rebounding to earlier levels in December.

Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries?

With this wording, 64% favor deportation and 36% are opposed. When first asked in February, 65% favored deportations and 35% were opposed. The full trend is shown in Table 19.

Table 19: Deport immigrants illegally in U.S.

Among national adults

Poll datesFavor or oppose
FavorOppose
12/2-11/246436
10/1-10/245545
7/24-8/1/246139
5/6-15/246238
3/18-28/246040
2/5-15/246535
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries?

Another alternative question wording includes mention of those who have lengthy residency, jobs, and no criminal record:

Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries even if they have lived here for a number of years, have jobs, and no criminal record?

When worded this way, 42% favor deportations and 58% are opposed. Mention of residence, jobs, and no criminal record reduces support for deportations by around 20 percentage points when compared to the wording without additional description. The trend for this question, asked since May, is shown in Table 20. Here too, support for deportations has declined over time this year, only to rebound in December.

Table 20: Deport immigrants illegally in U.S., including long-time residents with jobs etc.

Among national adults

Poll datesFavor or oppose
FavorOppose
12/2-11/244258
10/1-10/243862
7/24-8/1/244357
5/6-15/244456
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries even if they have lived here for a number of years, have jobs and no criminal record??

Policy preferences, including on transgender issues

Opinions about several policy proposals are shown in Table 21.

  • The highest support, 76%, is for requiring transgender athletes to play on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth.
  • Support for increasing oil and gas production in the U.S. is nearly as high, at 74%.
  • More than two-thirds, 68%, favor allowing parents to make medical decisions about their minor children, including whether or not to vaccinate them against measles, polio, and other disease.
  • Sixty-one percent favor banning “gender-affirming” care such as hormone therapy or surgery for transgender minors under 18.
  • Tax cuts are favored by 60%, even if the federal deficit would increase.
  • A slight majority, 52%, oppose a national ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Table 21: Favor or oppose these policies

Among national adults

PolicyFavor or oppose
FavorOppose
Require that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with7624
Increase production of oil and gas in the U.S.7426
Allow parents to make medical decisions for their minor children under 18, including whether or not to vaccinate their children against measles, polio, and other diseases6832
Ban “gender-affirming” care such as hormone therapy or surgery for transgender minors under 186139
Cut taxes even if the federal deficit increases6040
Pass a national law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy4852
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Which of the following proposals would you favor and which would you oppose?

Foreign affairs

A majority of adults (60%) say it will be better for the U.S. to play an active part in world affairs, while 40% say the country should stay out of world affairs. In November 2022, opinion was supportive of U.S. involvement, by the same margin, though that view declined during 2023 and 2024. In October 2024, 54% favored an active role and 46% said the U.S. should stay out of world affairs.  The full trend in opinion is shown in Table 22.

Table 22: U.S. role in world affairs

Among national adults

Poll datesU.S. Role
Take an active part in world affairsStay out of world affairs
12/2-11/246040
10/1-10/245446
5/6-15/245446
3/18-28/245644
2/5-15/245446
11/2-7/235248
9/18-25/235842
7/7-12/235347
5/8-18/235545
3/13-22/235545
1/9-20/235941
11/15-22/226040
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you think it will be better for the future of the country if we take an active part in world affairs, or if we stay out of world affairs?

Republicans are evenly divided on the U.S. role in the world, with 51% saying the U.S. should be active in world affairs and 49% saying it should stay out. A small majority of independents (54%) say the U.S. should stay out of world affairs, while 46% say the U.S. should play an active part. Democrats are much more supportive of U.S. engagement in the world, with 74% favoring an active part while 26% say the U.S. should stay out. These results are shown in Table 23.

Table 23: U.S. role in world affairs, by party identification

Among adults

Party IDU.S. Role
Take an active part in world affairsStay out of world affairs
Republican5149
Independent4654
Democrat7426
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: Do you think it will be better for the future of the country if we take an active part in world affairs, or if we stay out of world affairs?

The percentage saying the U.S. is giving too much support to Ukraine has increased to 42%, up from 32% when first asked in November 2022. Currently, 25% say the U.S. is providing too little support and 34% say it is the right amount of support. The full trend is shown in Table 24.

Table 24: U.S. aid to Ukraine

Among national adults

Poll datesAid to Ukraine
Too much supportNot enough supportAbout the right amount of support
12/2-11/24422534
10/1-10/24382240
5/6-15/24392536
3/18-28/24363133
2/5-15/24382537
11/2-7/23382140
9/18-25/23372241
7/7-12/23342244
5/8-18/23342343
3/13-22/23342441
1/9-20/23292446
11/15-22/22322345
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: When it comes to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, do you think the United States is providing too much support to Ukraine, not enough support to Ukraine, or about the right amount of support to Ukraine?

A majority of Republicans (62%) say the U.S. is giving too much aid to Ukraine, while half of independents say the same and only 17% of Democrats say there is too much aid to Ukraine. The full results are shown in Table 25. In November 2022, 48% of Republicans and 36% of independents said the U.S. was giving too much support, as did 17% of Democrats.

Table 25: U.S. aid to Ukraine, by party identification

Among adults

Party IDAid to Ukraine
Too much supportNot enough supportAbout the right amount of support
Republican621226
Independent502030
Democrat173943
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: When it comes to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, do you think the United States is providing too much support to Ukraine, not enough support to Ukraine, or about the right amount of support to Ukraine?

The percentage of adults who think what happens in Ukraine matters a great deal to life in the U.S. has fallen to 25% from 39% in November 2022. The trend is shown in Table 26.

Table 26: Ukraine outcome matters to life in U.S.

Among national adults

Poll datesUkraine outcome matters
A great dealSomeNot muchNot at all
12/2-11/242549207
1/9-20/233147167
11/15-22/223942145
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: How much do you think what happens in the Russia-Ukraine conflict matters to life in the United States?

In the case of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, 40% say the U.S. is giving too much support to Israel, 24% say the U.S. is providing too little support, and 36% say it is the right amount of support. Opinion has been fairly stable throughout 2024. The full trend is shown in Table 27.

Table 27: U.S. aid to Israel

Among national adults

Poll datesAid to Israel
Too much supportNot enough supportAbout the right amount of support
12/2-11/24402436
5/6-15/24412435
3/18-28/24372439
2/5-15/24422138
Marquette Law School Poll, national surveys, latest: Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: When it comes to Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, do you think the United States is providing too much support to Israel, not enough support to Israel, or about the right amount of support to Israel?

Half of Democrats (50%) say the U.S. is giving too much aid to Israel, as do half of independents, while only 28% of Republicans say the U.S. is giving too much aid to Israel. The full results are shown in Table 28.

Table 28: U.S. aid to Israel, by party identification

Among adults

Party IDAid to Israel
Too much supportNot enough supportAbout the right amount of support
Republican283537
Independent501633
Democrat501535
Marquette Law School Poll, national survey, Dec. 2-11, 2024
Question: When it comes to Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, do you think the United States is providing too much support to Israel, not enough support to Israel, or about the right amount of support to Israel?

About the Marquette Law School Poll

The survey was conducted Dec. 2-11, 2024, interviewing 1,063 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of +/-3.6 percentage points.

Interviews were conducted using the SSRS Opinion Panel, a national probability sample with interviews conducted online. Certain other data from this survey (focusing on those about public views of the Supreme Court) are held for release on Dec. 19. The detailed methodology statement, survey instrument, topline results, and crosstabs for this release are available at the Marquette Law School Poll website.

Final Marquette Law School Poll before Election Day finds Harris supported by 50% of likely Wisconsin voters, Trump by 49%

Also:

  • Both parties have strong enthusiasm for voting
  • There are big gaps in support by gender, where people live, religion, race, education, and when and how they plan to vote
  • Baldwin leads Hovde in U.S. Senate race, 51% to 49%

MILWAUKEE – A new Marquette Law School Poll survey of Wisconsin finds Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris supported by 50% of likely voters and Republican former President Donald Trump supported by 49%, in a head-to-head matchup. These results include initially undecided voters who were then asked whom they would vote for if they had to choose. In the previous poll in late September, Harris received 52% and Trump 48% among likely voters.

Keeping initially undecided voters as a separate category, Harris holds 48% of likely voters, Trump gets 47%, and 5% are undecided.

In a multicandidate race, Harris also leads, with 46% to Trump’s 44%, while Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receives 5%, the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Claudia De la Cruz 0%, Libertarian Party’s Chase Oliver 2%, Green Party candidate Jill Stein 1%, Constitution Party candidate Randall Terry 0%, and independent Cornel West 1%, among likely voters. Kennedy suspended his campaign on Aug. 23 but remains on the Wisconsin ballot.

In a combined sample of all four Wisconsin surveys since Harris entered the race in July, she wins a majority of Stein, West, and De la Cruz supporters when they are asked to choose between Harris and Trump. A majority of Kennedy, Oliver, and Terry supporters back Trump when asked to choose.

In the U.S. Senate race, Sen. Tammy Baldwin is supported by 51% to Eric Hovde’s 49% among likely voters. These results include initially undecided voters who were then asked whom they would vote for if they had to choose. When initially undecided voters are kept as a separate category, Baldwin is the choice of 48% and Hovde the choice of 45%, with 7% still undecided.

When the Senate ballot includes independent candidates, Baldwin receives 49% and Hovde 47% among likely voters. Phil Anderson, the “Disrupt the Corruption” Party candidate, receives 2% and Thomas Leager, of the “America First” Party, receives 1%.

The survey was conducted Oct. 16-24, 2024, interviewing 834 Wisconsin registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-4.4 percentage points, and 753 likely voters, with a margin of error of +/-4.4 percentage points, the same as for registered voters. (All results in the tables are stated as percentages.)

Early voting

There is a large difference in vote choice between those planning to vote on Election Day or to vote early in-person—groups that favor Trump—and those voting absentee by mail—who strongly favor Harris. This is shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Vote choice, by early voting

Among likely voters

When votingVote choice
Kamala HarrisDonald Trump
In person on Election Day4456
In person early voting4752
Absentee by mail7030
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: If the 2024 election for president were held today between [Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat,] and [former President Donald Trump, the Republican,] would you vote for [Kamala Harris] or for [Donald Trump] or haven’t you decided?
Question: If you had to choose, would you vote for [Harris] or for [Trump]?

When asked who they think is likely to win in November, 45% say Harris will definitely or probably win, 37% say Trump will definitely or probably win, and 17% say they don’t know, among registered voters. Since late September, there has been an increase in the percentage saying they don’t know who will win, with a decline in the percentage saying Harris or Trump. The trend since July is shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Who is likely to win the November election

Among registered voters

Poll datesWho is likely to win?
HarrisTrumpDon’t know
10/16-24/24453717
9/18-26/24503911
8/28-9/5/24484111
7/24-8/1/24385111
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Regardless of how you plan to vote, who do you think will win the presidential election: [Kamala Harris, the Democrat] or [Donald Trump, the Republican]?


Group voting

Table 3 shows relative support among several demographic groups. This table includes all registered voters interviewed in the four polls from July to October in order to provide substantial sample sizes for each group. In this pooled sample, Harris is supported by 51% and Trump by 49% among both registered and likely voters.

There are large differences in vote margins within each demographic category, including gender, age, race, urban-rural, education, and religion, with extremely Republican subgroups and extremely Democratic ones.

  • Men prefer Trump by 12 percentage points, while women prefer Harris by 14 points. In Marquette Law School polls of Wisconsin registered voters, this 26-point gap is larger than the 21-point gap when Biden was the 2024 Democratic candidate but smaller than the 30-point gap in 2016 or the 32-point gap in 2020.
  • Those under 30 are the most Democratic age group, giving Harris a 22-point margin over Trump, while those 45-59 years old prefer Trump by 10 points.
  • Those in principal cities, such as Green Bay, Madison, and Milwaukee, favor Harris by 36 percentage points, while those in rural and small towns favor Trump by 23 points.
  • The largest religious contrast is between born-again Protestants, who favor Trump by a margin of 60 percentage points, and those identifying as “no religion/atheistic/agnostic,” who favor Harris by a 51-percentage-point margin.

Table 3: Vote choice among demographic groups

Among registered voters, pooled July-October

GroupVote choice
Share of RVs (%)Net Harris minus TrumpKamala HarrisDonald Trump
Gender
Male48-124456
Female51145743
Age
18-2917226139
30-442205050
45-5924-104555
60+3625149
Race & Ethnicity
White90-14950
Black3648218
Hispanic465347
Other4195940
Urban-Rural
Principal city29366832
Suburban core32-24951
Exurbs and large towns22-174158
Rural and small towns17-233861
Education
Non-college62-74653
College38185941
Religion
Born-again Protestant14-602080
Mainline Protestant2705050
Roman Catholic28-134356
No religion26517524
Other religion5185941
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, pooled July-October
Question: If the 2024 election for president were held today between [Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat,] and [former President Donald Trump, the Republican,] would you vote for [Kamala Harris] or for [Donald Trump] or haven’t you decided?
Question: If you had to choose, would you vote for [Harris] or for [Trump]?

More on the gender gap within demographic groups

The gender gap has been prominent in recent elections and is quite clear within each demographic group, as shown in Table 4. In the combined July-October polls, women constitute 51% of registered voters and men are 48%, with fewer than 1% identifying their gender as something else. The gender gap is especially pronounced among other demographic categories:

  • A large gender gap exists among those under 30 and even more so among those 45-59 years old.
  • It is especially large among non-white groups and in the suburbs, but it is minimal in rural areas and small towns.
  • There is a substantial gender gap by education, for both non-college and college graduates.
  • The gender gap is relatively small among born-again Protestants but is larger among Roman Catholics.

While the size of the gender gap varies within groups, women are more supportive of Harris than men in every demographic group presented, except that of rural areas and small towns.

Table 4: Vote choice among demographic groups, by gender

Among registered voters, pooled July-October

GroupVote choice
GenderNet Harris minus TrumpKamala HarrisDonald Trump
Age
18-29Male-14950
18-29Female366832
30-44Male-84654
30-44Female105545
45-59Male-363268
45-59Female145743
60+Male-44852
60+Female75346
Race
WhiteMale-134356
WhiteFemale105545
Non-WhiteMale15049
Non-WhiteFemale487426
Urban-Rural
Principal cityMale216039
Principal cityFemale467327
Suburban coreMale-213960
Suburban coreFemale185941
Exurbs and large townsMale-273663
Exurbs and large townsFemale-54752
Rural and small townsMale-223961
Rural and small townsFemale-243862
Education
Non-collegeMale-204060
Non-collegeFemale25149
CollegeMale05050
CollegeFemale366832
Religion
Born-again ProtestantMale-641882
Born-again ProtestantFemale-562278
Mainline ProtestantMale-114455
Mainline ProtestantFemale105545
Roman CatholicMale-313465
Roman CatholicFemale75346
No religionMale356732
No religionFemale648218
Other religionMale65347
Other religionFemale206040
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, pooled July-October
Question: If the 2024 election for president were held today between [Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat,] and [former President Donald Trump, the Republican,] would you vote for [Kamala Harris] or for [Donald Trump] or haven’t you decided?
Question: If you had to choose, would you vote for [Harris] or for [Trump]?

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm about voting in November increased sharply from June to July, as shown in Table 5, and has remained stable since September. In the current survey, 66% say they are very enthusiastic about voting, similar to 67% in late September. For comparison, in the previous presidential cycle in late October 2020, 68% were very enthusiastic.

Table 5: Enthusiasm to vote in the November election

Among registered voters

Poll datesEnthusiasm
VerySomewhatNot tooNot at all
10/16-24/246618124
9/18-26/246718123
8/28-9/5/246320126
7/24-8/1/246121154
6/12-20/2446211914
4/3-10/2447221812
1/24-31/244925179
10/26-11/2/234628196
10/21-25/20682156
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: (2024) How enthusiastic are you about voting in the elections in November 2024 for president and other offices? Would you say you are very, somewhat, not too, or not at all enthusiastic?
Question: (2020) How enthusiastic are you about voting in this November’s elections? Would you say you are very, somewhat, not too, or not at all enthusiastic?

Enthusiasm among Democrats is slightly higher than among Republicans, with 75% of Democrats in this poll saying they are very enthusiastic and 66% of Republicans saying the same of themselves. This represents an increase of enthusiasm among Democrats, from 71% in late September, with little change for Republicans, who were at 67% in the previous poll.

Enthusiasm among independents has fluctuated inconsistently in recent polls, with 36% very enthusiastic now, down from 50% in the late September poll to a level closer to the polls during the previous months. Independents have consistently shown much less enthusiasm than partisans. The full trends by party are shown in Table 6.

Table 6: Enthusiasm to vote in the November election, by party identification

Among registered voters

Poll datesEnthusiasm
VerySomewhatNot tooNot at all
Democrat
10/16-24/24751483
9/18-26/24712082
8/28-9/5/24721982
7/24-8/1/246219154
6/12-20/2440242016
Independent
10/16-24/243636189
9/18-26/2450191912
8/28-9/5/2431292414
7/24-8/1/2437202617
6/12-20/2430172329
Republican
10/16-24/246617133
9/18-26/246717133
8/28-9/5/246319117
7/24-8/1/246422121
6/12-20/245719168
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: (2024) How enthusiastic are you about voting in the elections in November 2024 for president and other offices? Would you say you are very, somewhat, not too, or not at all enthusiastic?

Unlike earlier polling, there is little difference in vote choice by level of enthusiasm, as shown in Table 7, reflecting the previously mentioned evening out of enthusiasm differences by party.

Table 7: Vote for Harris or Trump, by enthusiasm

Among registered voters

EnthusiasmVote choice 2024
Kamala HarrisDonald Trump
Very/somewhat5049
Not too/not at all5147
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: If the 2024 election for president were held today between Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican, would you vote for Kamala Harris or for Donald Trump or haven’t you decided?
Question: If you had to choose, would you vote for Harris or for Trump?
Question: How enthusiastic are you about voting in the elections in November 2024 for president and other offices? Would you say you are very, somewhat, not too, or not at all enthusiastic?

President Biden and Trump presidential job approval

President Joe Biden’s job approval stands at 42%, with disapproval at 56%. There has been little change in his approval rating throughout the past year, including since he withdrew from the presidential race in July. His approval rating remains below that of Trump’s retrospective job approval.

Table 8 shows the recent trend in job approval.

Table 8: Biden job approval

Among registered voters

Poll datesJob approval
Total approveTotal disapproveStrongly approveSomewhat approveSomewhat disapproveStrongly disapprove
10/16-24/2442561527848
9/18-26/2443561528948
8/28-9/5/24415816251147
7/24-8/1/24425718231245
6/12-20/24405716241047
4/3-10/2440571624849
1/24-31/24415818231048
10/26-11/2/23425717251244
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president?

Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the job Trump did when he was president. In October, 47% approve and 52% disapprove, the same as in late September. That is also the same as Trump’s approval in the last Marquette Law School Poll survey before the 2020 election. His job approval is viewed the same now as then, neither better nor worse. The recent trend is shown in Table 9.

Table 9: Trump retrospective job approval

Among registered voters

Poll datesJob approval
Total approveTotal disapproveStrongly approveSomewhat approveSomewhat disapproveStrongly disapprove
10/16-24/2447523314844
9/18-26/2447523512845
8/28-9/5/2446543116846
7/24-8/1/2448513216843
6/12-20/2447523016844
4/3-10/2447522621943
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump handled his job when he was president?

Favorability to presidential and vice-presidential candidates

Harris is seen favorably by 47% and unfavorably by 52% of registered voters. In the prior poll, Harris was seen favorably by 47% and unfavorably by 50%. The favorability trend for Harris since July is shown in Table 10. Her net favorable ratings improved from the first (July) survey, as shown in Table 10. Favorability to Harris was not asked earlier in the year, before she became a presidential candidate.

Table 10: Favorability to Harris

Among registered voters

Poll datesFavorability
Net favFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
10/16-24/24-547522
9/18-26/24-347503
8/28-9/5/24-447512
7/24-8/1/24-1241536
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of INSERT NAME or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?

For Trump, 43% have a favorable opinion and 57% have an unfavorable opinion, a 1-point dip in favorable and 2-point increase in unfavorable opinion since late September. His net favorable ratings have improved from those of late 2023, as shown in Table 11.

Table 11: Favorability to Trump

Among registered voters

Poll datesFavorability
Net favFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
10/16-24/24-1443570
9/18-26/24-1144551
8/28-9/5/24-1343560
7/24-8/1/24-1044542
6/12-20/24-1641572
4/3-10/24-1343561
1/24-31/24-1840581
10/26-11/2/23-2437612
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of INSERT NAME or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?

Favorability toward Biden remains low at 41% favorable with his unfavorable rating at 57%. The trend for Biden since late 2023 is shown in Table 12. Biden’s net favorability, which was better than Trump’s a year ago, has remained slightly worse than Trump’s since April.

Table 12: Favorability to Biden

Among registered voters

Poll datesFavorability
Net favFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
10/16-24/24-1641572
9/18-26/24-1442562
8/28-9/5/24-1542571
7/24-8/1/24-1740572
6/12-20/24-1840581
4/3-10/24-1940591
1/24-31/24-1741581
10/26-11/2/23-1442562
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of INSERT NAME or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?

The percentage of those with unfavorable opinions of both Trump and Harris, the so-called “double haters,” increased slightly from late September to October. For Harris and Trump, 9% now have an unfavorable view of both, up from 6% at the end of September. In the current poll, 46% have a favorable view of Harris and an unfavorable view of Trump, while 43% have a favorable view of Trump and an unfavorable one of Harris. Less than 0.5% have a favorable view of both. The trend in combined favorability is shown in Table 13.

Table 13: Combined favorability to Harris and Trump

Among registered voters

Poll datesFavorability to both Harris and Trump
KH fav, DT favKH fav, DT unfavKH unfav, DT favKH unfav, DT unfavDK KH or DT
10/16-24/240464392
9/18-26/240474363
8/28-9/5/240464283
7/24-8/1/2414041117
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of INSERT NAME or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?

Vice-presidential candidates

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz is viewed favorably by 43% and unfavorably by 43%, with 14% saying they haven’t heard enough. Walz’s net favorability has declined from +7 in late September to 0 in the current poll. His trend is shown in Table 14.

Table 14: Favorability to Walz

Among registered voters

Poll datesFavorability
Net favFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
10/16-24/240434314
9/18-26/247453816
8/28-9/5/246433719
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of INSERT NAME or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?

Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance is seen favorably by 42% and unfavorably by 46%, with 11% saying they haven’t heard enough or don’t know. Vance’s net favorability has improved by 9 points since late September. The trend is shown in Table 15.

Table 15: Favorability to Vance

Among registered voters

Poll datesFavorability
Net favFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
10/16-24/24-4424611
9/18-26/24-13385111
8/28-9/5/24-10374716
7/24-8/1/24-10314128
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of INSERT NAME or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?

Favorability of all presidential and vice-presidential candidates

Table 16 shows the favorability ratings of the aforementioned candidates in addition to the third-party candidates for president. Kennedy is the best known of the third-party candidates, all of whom are less well known than Harris or Trump.

Table 16: Favorability of all national candidates

Among registered voters

CandidateFavorability
Net favFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
Harris-547522
Trump-1443570
Vance-4424611
Walz0434314
Kennedy-6394515
De la Cruz-63983
Oliver-32587
Stein-2272961
Terry-51687
West-981771
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of INSERT NAME or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?

Characteristics of Harris and Trump

The perceived characteristics of Harris and Trump are shown in Table 17. More people see Trump as having strong accomplishments and as being a strong leader than see Harris these ways. More also see Trump as too old to be president and as having behaved corruptly.

More people see Harris as intelligent, as honest, and as with the right temperament than see Trump these ways. Slightly more also see Harris as sharing their values.

Table 17: How well does this phrase describe Harris or Trump

Among registered voters

CandidateHow well phrase describes
Very/somewhat wellNot too/not at all well
Is too old to be president
Harris1386
Trump5743
Shares your values
Harris5050
Trump4753
Has behaved corruptly
Harris3564
Trump6237
Strong record of accomplishments
Harris4555
Trump5347
Has the right temperament to be president
Harris5644
Trump4555
Is a strong leader
Harris5050
Trump5545
Is intelligent
Harris5940
Trump5346
Is honest
Harris5149
Trump4159
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: How well does each of the following phrases describe (Kamala Harris)(Donald Trump)?

Issues in the presidential campaign

Table 18 shows which candidate is thought to do a better job on each of eight issues. Trump is seen as better on immigration and border security, the Israel-Hamas war, and the economy, and holds a slight edge on handling foreign relations. Harris is seen as better on abortion policy, ensuring fair and accurate elections, health care, and on Medicare and Social Security.

A total of between 10% and 19% say either that both candidates would be about the same or that neither would be good on each issue.

Table 18: Which candidate would do a better job on issues

Among registered voters

IssueWho better
HarrisTrumpBoth about the sameNeither good
Immigration and border security375157
Israel-Hamas war3347712
The economy405064
Foreign relations434747
Medicare & Social Security483886
Health care483885
Ensuring fair and accurate elections483768
Abortion policy533557
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you think Kamala Harris or Donald Trump would do a better job handling each of the following issues, they are both about the same or would neither be good on the issue?

Most important issues

Respondents were asked which of the eight issues would be most important for deciding their vote. The economy is the top-rated issue by a large margin, followed by abortion policy and immigration, as shown in Table 19.

Table 19: Most important issues

Among registered voters

  
ResponsePercent
The economy38
Abortion policy15
Immigration and border security13
Medicare & Social Security9
Ensuring fair and accurate elections9
Health care6
Foreign relations3
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza3
Don’t know3
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Which one of the following issues will be MOST important in deciding your vote for president?

Looking back: The economy was seen as the most important issue by 33% in April, while immigration was most important to 21% that month. Both have been relatively stable since July, with around 38% saying the economy is the most important issue and around 13% saying immigration is the most important. Abortion policy has been rated as the most important by about 15% since June, a slight increase from 13% in April.

Partisans differ on the most important issues, as shown in the current poll in Table 20. Republicans are much more likely to rank the economy and immigration as most important, while placing little weight on any of the other issues. Independents rank the economy as most important, with health care a distant second. Democrats put abortion policy as their top concern, with the economy second.

Table 20: Most important issues, by party identification

Among registered voters

Party IDIssue
The economyImmigration and border securityHealth careForeign relationsAbortion policyMedicare & Social SecurityThe war between Israel and Hamas in GazaEnsuring fair and accurate electionsDon’t know
Republican53251374151
Independent40811485977
Democrat21111426162145
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Which one of the following issues will be MOST important in deciding your vote for president?

Who is better on the respondent’s most important issue

Trump is seen as better on the issue the respondent says is most important for them by 46%, while Harris is seen as better on respondent’s most important issue by 43% and 7% don’t see a difference between the candidates on the respondent’s most important issue. Four percent failed to identify an issue most important to them.

Democrats are slightly less likely to say Harris is better on their most important issue than Republicans are to say the same of Trump, while independents are more likely to say Harris is better on their most important issue. A large percentage of independents see no difference between Harris and Trump on their most important issue, while 7% of Democrats don’t see either candidate as better in this regard. Almost all Republicans see a difference. These results are shown in Table 21.

Table 21: Which candidate is better on respondent’s most important issue, by party identification

Among registered voters

Party IDWho better
HarrisTrumpBoth about the sameNeither goodNo most important issue
Republican689212
Independent42302207
Democrat853345
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you think Kamala Harris or Donald Trump would do a better job handling each of the following issues, they are both about the same or would neither be good on the issue?
Question: Which one of the following issues will be MOST important in deciding your vote for president?

Abortion

Sixty-three percent of registered voters say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and 37% say it should be illegal in all or most cases. This has changed little since June 2022, when Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision which made abortion legal in all 50 states, was overturned. The full trend is shown in Table 22.

Table 22: Abortion opinion

Among registered voters

Poll datesOpinion
Legal in all casesLegal in most casesIllegal in most casesIllegal in all casesDon’t know
10/16-24/2427363160
9/18-26/2434352750
8/28-9/5/2431352850
7/24-8/1/2433342751
6/12-20/2434322680
4/3-10/2428362691
6/8-13/2332342561
8/10-15/2230352553
6/14-20/22273124115
10/26-31/21233823114
2/19-23/20183722156
10/24-28/18262924144
9/12-16/1826362196
7/11-15/18273618116
10/23-26/14243424153
10/21-24/13263625102
10/25-28/12283223124
10/11-14/12253425123
9/27-30/12253523123
9/13-16/12263423133
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you think abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases, or illegal in all cases?

Opinion on deporting immigrants

There has been a considerable shift since 2022 among Wisconsinites in opinion on deporting immigrants who are in the United States illegally, with support for a path to citizenship declining and the group favoring requiring “undocumented immigrants” to leave the U.S. doubling in size since late 2022. Table 23 shows the trend on this question since early 2017. Opinion was relatively stable through the Trump administration and first two years of the Biden administration but shifted in 2024 as Trump called for deportation of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

Table 23: Undocumented immigrants, opinion

Among registered voters

Poll datesOpinion
Stay and apply for citizenshipStay as temporary guest workersRequired to leave jobs and U.S.Don’t know
10/16-24/245016331
4/3-10/244916305
4/19-24/226416164
2/19-23/206715133
10/24-28/186515153
9/12-16/186815143
2/25-3/1/18711494
3/13-16/176617142
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Which comes closest to your view about undocumented immigrants who are currently working in the U.S.?

There is greater support for deportation of immigrants illegally in the U.S. when the question is worded differently from the foregoing, as:

Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries?

With this wording a sizable majority, 60%, favor deportations, while 39% are opposed. Support has declined slightly from the high point in early September, as shown in Table 24. This wording has been asked of a random half-sample from July to October.

Table 24: Deport immigrants in U.S. illegally

Among registered voters

Poll datesOpinion
FavorOpposeDon’t know
10/16-24/2460391
8/28-9/5/2465350
7/24-8/1/2464342
4/3-10/2456395
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries?

A modified wording on deportation finds somewhat less support when longtime workers are mentioned:

Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries even if they have lived here for a number of years, have jobs and no criminal record?

This wording, asked of a random half-sample, finds 39% in favor and 60% opposed to deportations, essentially the reverse of the question where length of residence, employment, and no criminal record are not mentioned. The trend for this question is shown in Table 25.

Table 25: Deport immigrants in U.S. illegally who have jobs and no criminal record

Among registered voters

Poll datesOpinion
FavorOpposeDon’t know
10/16-24/2439600
8/28-9/5/2449510
7/24-8/1/2444550
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you favor or oppose deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home countries even if they have lived here for a number of years, have jobs and no criminal record?

These three versions on opinion about immigrants, with three rather different results, show that opinion on deportation is highly dependent on the framing of the issue.

Perceived candidate ideology

Harris is seen as very liberal by 50%, and Trump is seen as very conservative by 49%. Harris is seen as moderate by 15%, while 8% see Trump that way.

There has been little change in these perceptions since early September, with 2 percentage points fewer saying that Harris is very liberal and a decline of 4 percentage points in those saying that Trump is very conservative.

In contrast to the candidates, voters see themselves as closer to the center: 32% describe themselves as moderate, 11% as very liberal, and 14% as very conservative. Self-described ideology has also remained stable over the three polls. The full set of results is shown in in Table 26.

Table 26: Perceived candidate ideology

Among registered voters

Poll datesIdeology
Very conservativeSomewhat conservativeModerateSomewhat liberalVery liberal
Harris
10/16-24/2432152950
9/18-26/2422153051
8/28-9/5/2432162752
Trump
10/16-24/244936824
9/18-26/2452341012
8/28-9/5/2453321023
Self-description
10/16-24/241427321711
9/18-26/241225341811
8/28-9/5/241425341611
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: In general, would you describe each of the following as…?
Question: In general, would you describe your political views as…

Vote, by party ID

Table 27 shows presidential vote by party identification in the polls since Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic candidate. Partisans are strongly aligned with their party’s nominee, with Democrats slightly more so than Republicans. Republican crossover to Harris has remained in mid-single digits, while Democratic crossover to Trump is in low single digits. These results have been consistent in all four polls.

Independents, in contrast to partisans, have shifted from July, when 54% preferred Trump to 44% for Harris. That balance shifted sharply in early September, with independents supporting Harris 60% to 40% for Trump, and in late September independents backed Harris 61% to 39% for Trump. In October, independent support for Harris declined slightly to 57%, with Trump at 42%.

Table 27: Vote for Harris or Trump, by party identification

Among registered voters

Party IDVote choice
Kamala HarrisDonald Trump
10/16-24/24
Republican792
Independent5742
Democrat973
9/18-26/24
Republican694
Independent6139
Democrat991
8/28-9/5/24
Republican595
Independent6040
Democrat1000
7/24-8/1/24
Republican694
Independent4454
Democrat972
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: If the 2024 election for president were held today between [Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat,] and [former President Donald Trump, the Republican,] would you vote for [Kamala Harris] or for [Donald Trump] or haven’t you decided?
Question: If you had to choose, would you vote for [Harris] or for [Trump]?

Senate vote, by party identification

As shown in Table 28, among Democratic registered voters, Baldwin receives 97% and Hovde 3%. Among Republicans, Hovde holds 93%, while Baldwin takes 7%. Independents favor Baldwin by 64% to Hovde’s 36%.

Table 28: Vote for Baldwin or Hovde

Among registered voters

Party IDVote choice
Tammy BaldwinEric Hovde
10/16-24/24
Republican793
Independent6436
Democrat973
9/18-26/24
Republican891
Independent6237
Democrat991
8/28-9/5/24
Republican494
Independent6533
Democrat991
7/24-8/1/24
Republican1188
Independent5246
Democrat982
6/12-20/24
Republican1288
Independent5248
Democrat955
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: If the 2024 election for U.S. Senate were held today between (Eric Hovde, the Republican), and (Tammy Baldwin, the Democrat), would you vote for (Eric Hovde) or for (Tammy Baldwin) or haven’t you decided?
Question: If you had to choose, would you vote for (Hovde) or for (Baldwin?)

The multi-candidate Senate vote by party identification in October is shown in Table 29. Third-party candidate support is highest among independents, with little such support from Republicans or Democrats.

Table 29: Multicandidate Senate vote

Among registered voters

Party IDVote choice
BaldwinHovdeAndersonLeagerDon’t know
10/16-24/24
Republican690211
Independent5829671
Democrat962110
9/18-26/24
Republican591112
Independent6030641
Democrat980100
8/28-9/5/24
Republican491221
Independent6224571
Democrat991010
7/24-8/1/24
Republican888220
Independent4234978
Democrat962110
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: If the U.S. Senate ballot included additional candidates, would you vote for Democrat Tammy Baldwin, Republican Eric Hovde, Disrupt the Corruption Party’s Phil Anderson, or America First Party’s Thomas Leage?

Senate candidate favorability

In the current survey, Baldwin’s favorable rating is 45% and her unfavorable rating is 50%, with 5% who don’t know enough about her. This is Baldwin’s lowest net favorability rating, -5, of the election cycle, a period beginning in June 2023.

Hovde is seen favorably by 36% and unfavorably by 48%, with 15% who haven’t heard enough. His net favorable rating declined since late September from -9 to -12, his second lowest net rating in the period beginning in June 2023.

These favorability trends are shown in Table 30.

Table 30: Favorability to Senate candidates

Among registered voters

Poll datesFavorability
Net favorableFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
Tammy Baldwin
10/16-24/24-545505
9/18-26/24047476
8/28-9/5/24147467
7/24-8/1/240444412
6/12-20/241454411
4/3-10/245474211
1/24-31/24-3424513
10/26-11/2/23-2414315
6/8-13/233403722
Eric Hovde
10/16-24/24-12364815
9/18-26/24-9364518
8/28-9/5/24-9344322
7/24-8/1/24-13243738
6/12-20/24-9233244
4/3-10/24-5192456
1/24-31/24-27982
6/8-13/23-44885
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of (INSERT NAME) or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?

Perceived characteristics of Senate candidates

Baldwin has her largest advantage over Hovde in being seen as someone who cares about people like the respondent, 53% to Hovde’s 48%. In late September, 56% said Baldwin cares about people like them, while 47% said Hovde cares about people like them.

Baldwin also has a slight advantage in being seen as committed to serving the interests of Wisconsin, with 56% saying this describes her, while 52% say it describes Hovde. The gap has narrowed since late September when 60% said this described Baldwin and 51% said it described Hovde.

Hovde has taken a very slight lead in being seen as someone who will work to solve national problems, with 53% saying this describes him and 52% saying this describes Baldwin. In late September, 50% said it described Hovde and 54% said it described Baldwin. The full results are shown in Table 31.

Table 31: How well does this phrase describe Baldwin or Hovde

Among registered voters

CandidateHow well phrase describes
Very/somewhat wellNot too/not at all well
Is committed to serving the interests of Wisconsin
Baldwin5643
Hovde5247
Is someone who cares about people like me
Baldwin5346
Hovde4852
Will work to solve our national problems
Baldwin5248
Hovde5347
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: How well does each of the following phrases describe (Tammy Baldwin)(Eric Hovde)?

Perceived Senate candidate ideology

Baldwin is seen as very or somewhat liberal by 81%, and Hovde is seen as very or somewhat conservative by 87%. Baldwin is seen as moderate by 16% and Hovde as moderate by 8%. More see Hovde as very conservative, 57%, than see Baldwin as very liberal, 50%. The results, with the respondents’ self-description, are shown in Table 32.

Table 32: Perceived Senate candidate ideology

Among registered voters

CandidateIdeology
Very conservativeSomewhat conservativeModerateSomewhat liberalVery liberal
Baldwin21163150
Hovde5730813
Self-description1427321711
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: In general, would you describe each of the following as…?
Question: In general, would you describe your political views as…

Direction of the state, economic conditions, and personal financial situation

The percentage saying the state is headed in the right direction, 44%, is unchanged from late September, with a 1 percentage point decrease in those saying it is off on the wrong track, to 55%. The full recent trend is shown in Table 33.

Table 33: Direction of the state

Among registered voters

Poll datesDirection
Right directionWrong track
10/16-24/244455
9/18-26/244456
8/28-9/5/244653
6/12-20/244555
4/3-10/244159
1/24-31/244257
10/26-11/2/233662
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Thinking just about the state of Wisconsin, do you feel things in Wisconsin are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten off on the wrong track?

The national economy is seen as excellent by only 6%, as good by 33%, as not so good by 30%, and as poor by 32%. Views of the economy have fluctuated modestly since November 2023, as shown in Table 34.

Table 34: Views of the national economy

Among registered voters

Poll datesNational economy
ExcellentGoodNot so goodPoor
10/16-24/246333032
9/18-26/245323033
8/28-9/5/243323530
7/24-8/1/245283333
6/12-20/244303432
4/3-10/245283828
1/24-31/246323428
10/26-11/2/233243637
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: How would you describe the state of the nation’s economy these days?

Respondents’ family financial situation is mixed: 44% say they are living comfortably, 39% say they are just getting by, and 17% say they are struggling. While financial situation has been relatively stable over the past year, the percentage saying they are living comfortably is far below the levels during the Trump administration in 2017-2020 or the early Biden administration in 2021-2022. This trend is shown in Table 35.

Table 35: Family financial situation

Among registered voters

Poll datesFinancial situation
Living comfortablyJust getting byStruggling
10/16-24/24443917
9/18-26/24483716
8/28-9/5/24443817
7/24-8/1/24444015
6/12-20/24463717
4/3-10/24454015
1/24-31/24493813
10/26-11/2/23483615
6/8-13/23533611
10/24-11/1/22503810
10/3-9/22533511
9/6-11/22563311
8/10-15/22543610
8/3-8/2160317
10/21-25/2067266
9/30-10/4/2060309
8/30-9/3/2060328
8/4-9/2063288
6/14-18/2061316
5/3-7/2061289
3/24-29/20593010
2/19-23/2062298
1/8-12/2063288
12/3-8/19622711
11/13-17/1966258
8/25-29/1959309
4/3-7/1959319
1/16-20/1960309
10/24-28/1860309
10/3-7/1863297
9/12-16/18563212
8/15-19/1863289
6/13-17/18583011
2/25-3/1/18543410
6/22-25/17533214
3/13-16/17543511
10/26-31/16503514
10/6-9/16473815
9/15-18/16533411
8/25-28/16533313
6/9-12/16503712
3/24-28/16513810
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Thinking about your family’s financial situation, would you say you are living comfortably, just getting by, or struggling to make ends meet?

Property taxes, school funding, and satisfaction with public schools

Asked which is more important, reducing property taxes or increasing funding for schools, the percentage saying reducing property taxes is more important has increased substantially since 2018, while the percentage of those placing more importance on increasing funding for public schools has declined. In the current survey, 55% say reducing property taxes is more important, while 44% say increasing spending on schools is more important. In early October 2018, by contrast, 37% said reducing property taxes was more important, and 57% said school spending was more important. The full trend is shown in Table 36.

Table 36: Reduce property taxes or increase spending on public schools

Among registered voters

Poll datesWhich more important
Reducing property taxesIncreasing spending on public schoolsDon’t know
10/16-24/2455441
9/18-26/2456441
10/26-11/2/2352471
6/8-13/2350473
10/24-11/1/2246485
10/3-9/2242525
9/6-11/2241515
8/10-15/2243525
4/19-24/2246504
8/3-8/2142525
2/19-23/2038565
1/8-12/2041554
1/16-20/1939556
10/24-28/1840554
10/3-7/1837576
9/12-16/1838575
8/15-19/1832615
6/13-17/1835595
2/25-3/1/1833633
4/7-10/1540545
5/6-9/1349464
3/11-13/1349464
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Which is more important to you: reduce property taxes or increase spending on public schools?

Satisfaction with public schools in the respondent’s community held steady from late September to October. Among those with an opinion, 66% are very satisfied or satisfied, and 35% are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. In June, 52% were very satisfied or satisfied and 47% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. The June poll followed news of financial errors in the Milwaukee Public Schools and the resignation of the MPS superintendent. Current satisfaction has returned to the previous level seen in early November 2023, though not to the pre-2020 level. The full trend in satisfaction with schools is shown in Table 37.

Table 37: Satisfaction with public schools

Among registered voters

Poll datesSatisfaction
Very satisfiedSatisfiedDissatisfiedVery dissatisfied
10/16-24/2412542510
9/18-26/2412522510
6/12-20/248442720
10/26-11/2/2312522611
6/8-13/231455238
9/6-11/2220472112
4/19-24/2217492014
10/26-31/2128392014
8/3-8/212452177
1/8-12/2016482412
9/12-16/182052199
3/13-16/172752156
4/7-10/152652165
5/6-9/132054188
3/11-13/132560122
5/23-26/122451187
5/9-12/122548207
4/26-29/1225461811
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: How satisfied are you with the job the public schools are doing in your community?
Note: Among those with an opinion

Approval of Gov. Tony Evers, favorability to Sen. Ron Johnson

Table 38 shows the approval ratings for Gov. Tony Evers. Evers’s approval is 51% and disapproval is 45%, a recovery from late September when approval dipped below 50%.

Table 38: Approval of Tony Evers’s job performance

Among registered voters

Poll datesApproval
ApproveDisapproveDon’t know
10/16-24/2451454
9/18-26/2448465
8/28-9/5/2451445
7/24-8/1/2451445
6/12-20/2451446
4/3-10/2452443
1/24-31/2451445
10/26-11/2/2353462
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Tony Evers is handling his job as governor of Wisconsin?

Favorability to Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is shown in Table 39. His favorable rating stands at 41%, with unfavorable at 45%, giving a net favorability of -4, his best net rating over the past year.

Table 39: Ron Johnson favorability

Among registered voters

Poll datesFavorability
Net favFavorableUnfavorableHaven’t heard enough
10/16-24/24-4414513
9/18-26/24-9404911
8/28-9/5/24-10394912
7/24-8/1/24-11364717
6/12-20/24-12385011
4/3-10/24-12395111
1/24-31/24-1438529
10/26-11/2/23-10405010
Marquette Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: Oct. 16-24, 2024
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of INSERT NAME or haven’t you heard enough about them yet?

About the Marquette Law School Poll

The Marquette Law School Poll is the most extensive statewide polling project in Wisconsin history. The survey was conducted Oct. 16-24, 2024, interviewing 834 Wisconsin registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-4.4 percentage points. The sample contains 753 likely voters, with a margin of error of +/-4.4 percentage points, the same as for registered voters.

The survey was conducted with a hybrid sample of 608 respondents selected from the Wisconsin voter registration list, and 226 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 725 respondents and with 109 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, 31% Democratic, and 34% independent. Since January 2020, the long-term partisan balance has been 31% Republican and 29% Democratic, with 40% independent.