MU Poll: Key takeaways in 2024 matchups, top issues for voters
MADISON Wis. (CBS 58) -- With seven months to go until the 2024 election, the presidential candidates are in a tight race, according to a new Marquette Law School poll.
In a battleground state where statewide races are often decided by just a few thousand votes, former President Donald Trump is up by two percentage points over President Biden.
Among likely and registered voters Trump is backed by 51% and Biden sits at 49%, which is within the margin of error. In February, Trump and Biden were tied at 49% among registered voters.
When independents are thrown into the mix, that margin shifts dramatically to Trump's favor with an 18-point lead over his Democratic rival.
Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin warned that advantage could dwindle over time given independents have shifted their views over the last several polls.
"If we got two or three polls in a row where independents were consistently on one side, then I would pay a lot more attention to it," Franklin said.
The poll also provided a first glimpse of the U.S. Senate race since Republican candidate Eric Hovde launched a bid against incumbent Senator Tammy Baldwin. In a head-to-head matchup Baldwin holds a 5-point lead over Hovde, 52% to 47%.
Among likely voters, Hovde and Baldwin are tied at 50%.
The latest poll also shows the economy, immigration and abortion policy are some of the most important issues to voters.
Partisanship plays into that as well with a majority of voters surveyed believing Trump would do a better job at immigration and the economy compared to Biden winning on issues like abortion and health care.