Marquette poll finds Crowley with slight lead over Tiffany, within margin of error

2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial nominees David Crowley (D), left, and Tom Tiffany (R). (Photos courtesy candidates' campaigns)

(WTAQ-WLUK) — The race for Wisconsin governor remains close, according to a Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday.

Among likely voters, Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley led Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany had 49% to 44%, with 7% undecided. Among all registered voters, Crowley and Tiffany were tied at 44%, with 12% undecided.

The poll’s margin of error for all voters was four percentage points.

The poll is Marquette’s first of the general election season. It’s also the first since the poll faced scrutiny over its results two weeks before the Democratic primary election. That poll had State Rep. Francesca Hong, a self-described democratic socialist, leading the field with 38% and Crowley far behind at 7%. After Crowley narrowly won, poll director Charles Franklin pointed out that Hong’s final total was very close to what the poll predicted, and it was possible many of the undecided voters swung toward Crowley.

Hong’s loss may be playing a role in enthusiasm among likely voters, the poll found. More Republicans (66%) than Democrats (58%) said they were very enthusiastic about voting in November.

Crowley’s net favorability was higher than Tiffany’s, the poll found, though many voters were still waiting to learn more about the candidates. Crowley had a 33% favorability rating compared to a 29% unfavorability. However, 38% said they had not heard enough about him. Tiffany had a favorability of 39% and an unfavorability of 42%, with 18% unable to say.