Poll shows Walker, Barrett are leading gubernatorial candidates in their parties

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Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI

By Steve Schultze

Published: 08/21/2009

An early take on the race for governor shows Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker in a virtual dead heat.

The statewide poll found 44% of likely primary voters saying they favored Walker vs. 43% for Barrett, with 13% undecided, according to the poll. Walker is an announced Republican candidate for governor. Barrett, a Democrat, has not said whether he's interested in running for governor.

The poll was done this week for Walker's campaign by the Tarrance Group, a national polling firm for Republican candidates. The firm interviewed 800 likely primary election voters Tuesday and Wednesday. The results had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

The mayor's numbers were likely inflated by the massive publicity this week about his intervention in a domestic dispute, according to pollster Brian Tringali. Barrett was beaten by a man with a tire iron after the mayor heard cries for help and tried to call 911.

In other hypothetical general election matchups, the poll found Walker with 48% to 40% over Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, a Democrat, and Walker over U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, a Democrat from La Crosse, 49% to 39%.

The poll also found that Walker and Barrett were the best known of six people who have either declared their candidacy or who have been mentioned as possible candidates.

Republican respondents said if the primary were today, they would vote for Walker over homebuilder Mark Neumann, a former Republican congressman, by 57% to 21%. Thirty-nine percent of likely Democratic voters polled said they preferred Barrett in a primary; 25% said they'd vote in the primary for Lawton; and 19% said they'd vote for Kind.

John Barrett, the mayor's brother, said Tom Barrett would give serious thought to running for governor after he's recovered from his injuries.

View original story here.