Wisconsin Sen. Johnson struggling against Democratic challenger

Barnes has seen a 5-point jump in two months

By Ben Whedon

Published: August 18, 2022 5:15pm

Updated: August 18, 2022 5:58pm

Recent polling suggests incumbent Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson faces strong opposition in Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.

A Marquette University poll released on Tuesday showed Barnes with a 7-point lead over Johnson, projected to take 51% of the vote to the Republican's 44%. Johnson has held the seat since 2011.

While Johnson's support remained unchanged from a June iteration of the poll, Barnes has witnessed a 5-point jump in two months, rising from 46% support.

Marquette also found that incumbent Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has a 2-point lead over Trump-backed Republican businessman Tim Michels. The governor also commands a +2% approval rating, with 47% of voters approving of his performance as opposed to 45% who expressed disapproval.

That figure has steadily declined since earlier this year. Evers showed 48% approval in June, 49% in April, and 50% in February in the same survey.

The poll questioned 811 Wisconsin voters from Aug. 10-15 and has a margin of error of 4.2%.