A majority of Wisconsinites are not happy with the direction Wisconsin is heading.
According to the Marquette Law School Poll 56% of Wisconsinites answered that they are not happy with the direction Wisconsin is headed in a poll conducted before the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
The real question???
Who will Wisconsin voters punish at the polls on Election Day in November?
As Governor, Tony Evers would typically bare the bulk of the blame. However, it is well known that Gov. Evers has been at odds with Republican Legislative leaders Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu which would give voters the option to punish the Republican Legislature by reducing their majorities. Speaker Vos in particular could suffer as the longer tenured, more high profile of the two.
Governor Evers is often criticized for his handling of the pandemic particularly his lack of clear leadership, school closings, and long waiting periods for unemployment benefits. Gov. Evers has also been criticized for bungling the aftermath of the Jacob Blake shooting which arguably allowed for rioting and looting in Kenosha. He has also been accused of being soft on crime with low bail possibly contributing to the Waukesha Christmas Parade killings and a drastic spike in homicides and carjackings in Milwaukee.
On the other hand, Speaker Vos has been in hot water after appointing a special election investigator funded through the State Assembly with questionable authority to actually do so. The investigator has gone over budget, perturbed local election officials, and stirred up concerns that he believes in Donald Trump's election fraud claims that are widely considered to be conspiracies.
Both Speaker Vos and Majority Leader LeMahieu have been on the wrong side of legalizing marijuana and the overturning of Roe v. Wade according polling numbers the MU Law Poll and others.
Of course it is also possible that the voters will re-elect all three. Despite their dissatisfaction with the direction the state is headed Sen. LeMahieu and Rep. Vos and the legislative majorities they lead do not seem to be endangered. Buoyed by Republican-leaning districts and Democrats failing to field challengers in more than a few districts, a GOP majority in both houses seems to be a forgone conclusion.
Gov. Evers, in a Presidential midterm year that would historically favor Republicans, is extremely well-funded. Despite few legislative accomplishments, he may be re-elected as a check on the extremely conservative State Legislature.
The 56% dissatisfaction in June will be most telling in how it moves from now until the November 8th election. Does it increase or wane? Does the source of the dissatisfaction shift more to one party or the other. Or do we all fear change leading us to decide to double-down and continue to be dissatisfied with the status quo?
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