By M.D. Kittle

MADISON — The latest Marquette University Law School national poll shows President Joe Biden remains underwater and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential stock rising.

Republican DeSantis has pulled into a tie with the Democrat incumbent in a hypothetical 2024 presidential matchup, with each receiving 42 percent support from registered voters nationwide, according to the poll of more than 1,000 adults. The survey was conducted Nov. 15-22.

DeSantis, fresh off his nearly 20-point drubbing of Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist in Florida’s gubernatorial race, has increased his support in polling since January. Biden’s support, meanwhile, has idled. About 15 percent of respondents said they would prefer someone else or would not vote.

That candidate may or may not be former President Donald Trump, who recently launched his bid to take back the White House in 2024. The Marquette poll finds that among registered voters who identify as or lean Republican, 55 percent would like to see Trump run in 2024, while 45 percent said they would not. Biden doesn’t fare as well in his own party. Among Democrats and Independents who lean to the Democrat Party, 49 percent would like to see Biden run in 2024 and 51 percent would not.

Biden bests Trump in a head-to-head matchup, though, with 44 percent to Trump’s 34 percent. Another 23% say they prefer someone else or would not vote.

The president’s approval rating is unchanged since September, with 45 percent of respondents approving and 55 percent disapproving, according to the poll. The numbers, however, are up from rock bottom in July, when just 36 percent of those surveyed approved of Biden’s job performance, with 65 percent disapproving.

DeSantis’ favorability ratings among Republicans have tracked upward in the poll, with 68 percent of respondents holding a favorable opinion, 22 percent unfavorable, and 22 percent saying they don’t know enough to give a rating. In January, 57 percent were favorable, 9 percent unfavorable, and 34 percent lacked an opinion of DeSantis.

Among Republican registered voters, Trump is seen favorably by 67 percent and unfavorably by 32 percent. Only 1 percent of respondents didn’t have enough information to form an opinion of Trump. The former president’s ratings have fallen since his high water mark in July, when the Marquette poll found 76 percent of respondents viewed him favorably.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is considering a presidential run in 2024, has a favorability rating of 51 percent among Republicans, with 40 percent holding an unfavorable view.

Top issues

The poll asked all adults surveyed what they would like to see congress do in the next year. Topping the list is limiting the cost of prescription drugs (92% of respondents). The remaining top 5 policy issues are:

› Pass a new voting rights law to protect every citizen’s right to vote (84%)

› Increase federal aid to states and school districts to increase teacher compensation (78%)

› Provide a tax credit to pay for tuition at two-year colleges and technical schools (77%)

› Increase tax credits for low-income workers (75%)

The policy wish list appears heavily weighted to liberal opinion. Drilling down, Republicans surveyed had a much different take on what they would like to see accomplished in congress, including:

› Increase efforts to stop illegal immigration along the southern border (94%)

› Increase production of oil and gas in the U.S. (93%)

› Limit the cost of prescription drugs (89%)

› Fund hiring of 200,000 more police officers nationwide (83%)

› Conduct a congressional investigation of the FBI (80%)

Providing national funding for vouchers allowing K-12 students to attend private or religious schools and impeaching Biden are also on the list of things Republicans want to see done in congress next year. Neither is likely to happen amid divided government, with Dems controlling the White House and Senate, and Republicans with the majority in the House.

On election integrity, the poll finds 71 percent of voters say they are very or somewhat confident in the accuracy of the 2022 elections, while 29 percent are not too or not at all confident in the results. Republicans remain less confident  in election outcomes than are Independents or Democrats.

Only 39 percent of Republicans are at least somewhat confident the votes for president were accurately cast and counted in the 2020 election? Fifty-eight percent of Independents and 89 percent of Democrats are.

Empower Wisconsin | Dec. 2, 2022