Harsdorf leads in poll

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• Daily Kos poll

Incumbent State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, leads Democratic challenger Shelly Moore by 5 percent, according to a poll released Tuesday, June 28.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 1,200 likely voters June 23-26 in the poll for the liberal website Daily Kos.

Fifty percent of the respondents said they supported Harsdorf. Moore was favored by 45 percent, and 5 percent were undecided.

The poll had a 2.8 percent margin of error.

Harsdorf was elected to a third four-year term in the Wisconsin Senate in 2008. She received 56.4 percent of the vote in that election to Democratic challenger Alison Page’s 43.5 percent.

Daily Kos commissioned polls in three of the Senate districts in which Republican incumbents are facing recall elections for their support of Gov. Scott Walker’s policies.

Harsdorf fared better in the polls than the two other Republicans.

In Senate District 32, Democratic challenger Jennifer Shilling holds a 14 percent lead over Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse. Shilling, currently La Crosse’s representative to the State Assembly, received the backing of 56 percent of the respondents to 42 percent for Kapanke.

In District 18, incumbent Sen. Randy Hopper trailed Democratic challenger Jessica King, the deputy mayor of Oskhosh, by 3 percent.

Fifty percent of the respondents said they supported King, 47 percent backed Hopper.

Pickups for each candidate

The poll shows Moore receiving support from 11 percent of those who voted for Gov. Scott Walker. But that support is largely offset by people who voted for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett who say they back Harsdorf – 9 percent.

Forty-eight percent said they approved of Harsdorf’s job performance, compared to 45 percent who said they disapproved. Seven percent weren’t sure.

Moore, an Ellsworth school teacher, appears to have a bigger problem with voter perception. Forty-six percent of respondents said they had an unfavorable opinion of her. Thirty-nine percent said they viewed her favorably, and 15 percent didn’t have an opinion of her.

Moore received her greatest support from women (49 percent to 46 percent for Harsdorf), the 18-to-29 age group (49 percent to 45 percent) and the 46-to-65 age group (49 percent to 47 percent).

Some of Harsdorf’s greatest support comes from men (54 percent to 42 percent for Moore) and those in the 30-to-45 age group (56 percent to 38 percent).

Harsdorf also appears to be winning the battle for independents, 50 percent of whom said they were likely to vote for her. Forty-one percent said they backed Moore and 9 percent were undecided.

Daily Kos was hopeful that a round of advertising by We Are Wisconsin, a labor umbrella group, would counter attack ads against Moore launched by the business group Club for Growth.

“So the fact that the contest is still so close despite a weeklong barrage against Moore suggests that, once the We Are Wisconsin ad begins to penetrate, the race could tighten further,” Daily Kos said. “In other words, it’s definitely in reach.”

Moore will face Republican protest candidate Isaac Weix in a July 12 primary. The primary winner will oppose Harsdorf in the Aug. 9 recall election.

The 10th Senate District Harsdorf represents includes all of St. Croix County, most of Polk County, and parts of Pierce, Burnett and Dunn counties.

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