U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson moved ahead of Dem rival Mandela Barnes by 6 points in the most recent Marquette University Law School Poll, while the guv’s race remained about even.
In both races, the numbers have shifted toward the GOP candidates since the August survey.
The poll found 52 percent of likely voters favored Johnson, while 46 percent favored Barnes, the lieutenant governor.
Last month, it was a 49-48 margin for Johnson after Barnes led by 7 points in a poll taken shortly after the Aug. 9 primary.
In the guv’s race, 47 percent backed Dem incumbent Tony Evers, while 46 percent favored GOP construction exec Tim Michels and 4 percent supported independent Joan Beglinger. The nurse and health care administrator has dropped out of the race, but remains on the ballot.
The race was 47-44 in Evers’ favor last month after a 4-point gap in August.
Poll director Charles Franklin said partisans continue to support their party’s candidate. The swing in both races has been among independents.
In the Senate race, Barnes had a 15-point lead among independents in August, while Johnson was ahead by 2 points in September. In the latest survey, Johnson had a 6-point edge.
In the guv’s contest, Evers was up 11 points among independents in August and 6 points in September. Michels had a 1-point edge in the latest poll.
The survey of 801 registered voters was conducted Oct. 3-9, and that sample had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
The sample included 652 likely voters, and the margin of error for that sample was plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.