PPP's Final Wisconsin Poll Shows Scott Walker Edging Tom Barrett | HuffPost

11th-Hour Wisconsin Poll Shows Walker With Slim Lead

By

Head of Election Polling at SurveyMonkey

|

WASHINGTON -- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) holds a narrow lead over his Democratic challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, in the run up to Tuesday's recall election, according to the final poll on the race conducted by Public Policy Polling, a firm affiliated with the Democratic Party.

PPP's automated, recorded-voice survey, conducted among 1,226 likely voters over the weekend, puts Walker at 50 percent support, 3 percentage points ahead of Barrett's 47 percent.

Fifteen surveys on the recall election have been released over the past month, and while most have produced close results, all but one have given Walker the advantage. Independent polls have generally given Walker a bigger lead than the handful of publicly released internal polls sponsored by the Barrett campaign or its Democratic allies.

In the past week, a Marquette University Law School poll gave Walker a seven-point lead, 52 percent to 45 percent, while an internal poll conducted for the Barrett campaign by the Democratic firm Garin-Hart-Yang showed Walker leading by just two points, 50 percent to 48 percent. The latest effort from PPP, which also polls for Democratic clients but did not have a campaign or party sponsor for this survey, is closer to the Barrett campaign poll.

With all polls included, including the internal surveys by the Democrats, the HuffPost Pollster chart of all available Wisconsin surveys gives Walker a lead of 2.8 points (50.3 percent to 47.5 percent). With the Democratic campaign polls excluded, however, Walker's lead grows to 3.9 points (50.6 percent to 46.7 percent).

More on the history of the race to recall Walker:

Wave Election Sweeps In Conservatives(01 of10)

In 2010, a surge of Tea Party momentum and backlash against Democrats helped elect conservatives including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who became the state's first Republican governor since 2002.Walker promised to cut taxes and create 250,000 new jobs, but a deeper look into his past also showed a politician who had inflamed tensions with unions before.The Washington Postreports on his time as Milwaukee County Executive, during which the collective bargaining rights of unions already appeared to be one of his most ambitious targets:

During his eight-year tenure in Milwaukee County, Walker never raised property taxes. He cut the county workforce by 20 percent, improved its bond rating and gave back hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own salary as part of the effort to trim spending. But he also saw his relations with local unions deteriorate.Union leaders say Walker never negotiated in good faith and had a singular solution to every budget problem: cut. Under his watch, the county privatized public jobs, laid off workers and placed others on furlough.[...]Walker argued that collective bargaining was the biggest hurdle to balancing the budget and that unions had little incentive to give ground because they almost always prevailed in arbitration. He said that the cuts he proposed were intended to prevent layoffs and accused union leaders of being uninterested in compromise.

(credit:AP)

Walker Clashes With Unions(02 of10)

After taking office, Walker announced a number of controversial proposals, including eliminating collective bargaining rights for state employees and reducing public employee benefits, as part of a "budget repair bill."He said the reforms were necessary to prevent the layoffs of thousands of workers.Facing anger from unions, Walker announced his readiness to mobilize the state's National Guard in response to any disruptions. The announcement was met with backlash by public sector workers across the state. (credit:AP)

Wisconsin Bans Collective Bargaining After Standoff(03 of10)

The fight over Walker's proposed budget was contentious, with Wisconsin Democratic state senators crossing state lines to Rockford, Ill. in an attempt to stall the vote.In March 2011, Walker signed the budget, significantly curtailing collective bargaining rights for union-affiliated public employees.Thousands of protesters gathered in Madison, and labor leaders and Democrats vowed to fight back. (credit:AP)

Walker's Foes Organize(04 of10)

In the months following his signing of the bill, Walker's opponents organized, announcing their intentions to recall the governor and his supporters.They erected a tent city and believed they'd won a surprise victory over a conservative state supreme court judge, before amended voting totals from one county reversed the victory.Walker continued to defend his policy but said he had made mistakes in the political execution.Correction: A previous version of this text inaccurately stated the final results of the Supreme Court race. (credit:AP)

State Senators Face Recall Election(05 of10)

Wisconsin Democrats scored a victory in their attempt to unseat Republican state legislators when they defeated six "fake" Democrats running in the party's primaries.Four of the six Republicans targeted for recall held onto their seats in the general election. (credit:AP)

Recall Effort Against Scott Walker Makes The Ballot(06 of10)

Petitions to recall Walker and his lieutenant governor gathered nearly a million signatures each, far exceeding the 500,000 needed. Election officials ordered a recall election. (credit:AP)

The Fight Moves Forward(07 of10)

Democratic candidates are now fighting for the chance to face Walker in the recall election. Amanda Terkel reports:

Recalling a sitting governor is no easy task; it's been done just twice in U.S. history. But while Republicans are amassing money and ground support in the next few months to fend off the opposition, Democrats are still figuring out who among them will be the strongest candidate to run against the governor. The process is pitting traditional allies against each other, as the candidates try to show off their pro-labor credentials while also making the case that they are best equipped to beat Walker in the general election.There are currently four Democratic candidates competing in the May primary. Former Dane County executive Kathleen Falk and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett are considered the two frontrunners, with state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) and Secretary of State Doug La Follette also in the race.

(credit:AP)

Tom Barrett Wins Primary(08 of10)

After a tough primary, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett bested three other Democratic candidates in an early May primary.HuffPost's Amanda Terkel reports:

Barrett beat former Dane County executive Kathleen Falk, Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette and state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) in the Democratic primary. The Associated Press called the race for Barrett shortly before 10 p.m. Eastern time.

Barrett's victory set up a rematch with Gov. Walker, who he lost to by about 5 percentage points in 2010. (credit:AP)

Down To The Wire(09 of10)

HuffPost's Mark Blumenthal reports:

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) holds a narrow lead over his Democratic challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, in the run up to Tuesday's recall election, according to the final poll on the race conducted by Public Policy Polling, a firm affiliated with the Democratic Party.PPP's automated, recorded-voice survey, conducted among 1,226 likely voters over the weekend, puts Walker at 50 percent support, 3 percentage points ahead of Barrett's 47 percent.Fifteen surveys on the recall election have been released over the past month, and while most have produced close results, all but one have given Walker the advantage. Independent polls have generally given Walker a bigger lead than the handful of publicly released internal polls sponsored by the Barrett campaign or its Democratic allies.

(credit:AP)

Walker Cruises To Victory(10 of10)

After a whirlwind day of voting that featured swarmed polling places around the state, media outlets called the race for Walker less than an hour after polls closed in the Badger State. Walker's lieutenant governor, Rebecca Kleefisch, was also declared victorious in her recall contest. (credit:Getty)

Support HuffPost

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.

Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

Suggest a correction

|

From Our Partner

HuffPost Shopping's
Best Finds

The Best Durable Shoes, According To Zookeepers Who Work In Mud All Day

The Most Comfortable Sandals For Walking All Day, According To Tour Guides Who Live In Them

This $4 Cat Toy Is 'Worth Its Weight In Gold' — And Behaviorists Say There's A Reason

This Seemingly Silly Luxury Is Actually Important For Your Pet's Health

9 Stylish Swim Trunks, According To The Best-Dressed Guys We Know