MILWAUKEE — Marquette University Law School will release the results of its final survey of Wisconsin before the November elections with an in-person event featuring Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll, and Derek Mosley, director of the school’s Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education, on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 12:15 p.m., at Marquette Law School’s Eckstein Hall.
A complete news release and poll data, including toplines, crosstabs, and slides from the discussion, will be available on the Marquette Law School Poll website at 1:15 p.m., following the event. The event is free and open to the public; registration is required and available online. The program will be available to stream live online on the Marquette Law School website.
Interview availability with Franklin will include a gaggle for media in attendance following the program. Additional virtual and phone interviews will be available in the afternoon. Media interested in attending or scheduling an interview should contact Kevin Conway, associate director of university communication, at kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu in advance.
The Marquette Law School Poll’s October survey of Wisconsin again considers the governor’s race between Democrat David Crowley and Republican Tom Tiffany, perceptions of candidate and party ideology, and approval of the governor, legislature, and state Supreme Court. Included are items on the most important issues to voters and opinions of which candidate would do a better job on each of several issues, as well as those directed toward measuring turnout and enthusiasm about voting. State issues include schools, property taxes, possible school closures and consolidation, and access to hospitals with emergency rooms. Economic development topics include support or opposition to large development projects, including data centers, and the use of tax incentives to attract business.
National concerns include approval of how President Donald Trump is handling his job as president, views of the economy, inflation, and personal well-being. Opinion of tariffs, deportations, and the Iran war is also included.
One new topic considers views of college and professional sports.
The Marquette Law School Poll has achieved considerable renown through its surveys of Wisconsin and the nation more generally. Established in 2012, it has become the most extensive statewide polling project in Wisconsin history, setting the standard for public opinion research in the state. Since 2019, the Law School’s surveys of national public opinion about the U.S. Supreme Court and selected political issues have expanded the work of the poll both geographically and topically.
This work has been nationally recognized for its accuracy and transparency. Among more than 500 pollsters across the United States, for example, the Marquette Law School Poll has been ranked second by Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin.
Franklin has directed the poll since its inception in 2012. A professor of law and public policy at Marquette Law School, Franklin also served on the ABC News election night Decision Desk from 2002 to 2020. He is a past president of the Society for Political Methodology and an elected fellow of the society; he holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan.
Mosley has served as Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education director since 2023. Under his leadership, the Law School’s Lubar Center has expanded its programming to include sessions during Black History Month and on unconscious bias, as well as Heritage Dinners in the community. A 1995 graduate of Marquette Law School, Mosley served as a judge of the Milwaukee Municipal Court for 20 years.
Through public programming such as the Marquette Law School Poll, “On the Issues” conversations with newsmakers, public lectures by leading scholars, conferences on issues of public significance, and the work of its Lubar Center, Marquette Law School seeks to advance civil discourse about law and public policy matters.
