Skip to content

‘Unprecedented’ Gender Gap Found Ahead of Midterms in Wisconsin Poll

Study suggests Democrats should look to turn out women in November

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., speaks with reporters in the Capitol after the Senate vote to reopen the government in January 2018. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., speaks with reporters in the Capitol after the Senate vote to reopen the government in January 2018. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

President Donald Trump’s approval rating among men has climbed to an all-time high in Wisconsin at 59 percent, while his approval among women in the state stands at a paltry 39 percent, according to a new poll.

The gap is reportedly the largest in the history of Marquette Law Schools’ polling and suggests Democrats should look to turn out women in November.

The party hopes to flip the 1st District in a race for House Speaker Paul Ryan’s open seat, where labor union leader Randy Bryce trails former Hill staffer Bryan Steil. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Lean Republican. The party also looks to retain Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s seat in a race rated Lean Democratic.

A new analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel compared the yawning disparity between Trump’s approval among men and women to his predecessor’s gender gap. President Barack Obama’s approval rating among women trended higher than his approval rating among men, a 53-44 percent breakdown. That’s a nine-point difference, less than half of Trump’s 20 point split.

Obama’s approval rating among men and women tended to hew closely to party loyalties, but even within the Republican party, 4 points separate Trump’s approval between men and women.

Among independents in Wisconsin Trump’s gender gap is a stark 17 points — 30 percent of independent women approve of the president, while 46 percent of independent men approve.

Marquette recorded its most dramatic gender gap in presidential approval ratings in the aftermath of the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault by three women.

Republicans, including Trump, have hoped to capitalize on the fierce ideological battles that erupted around the Kavanaugh confirmation process to mobilize conservatives to the polls.

“The harsh and unfair treatment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh is having an incredible upward impact on voters,” Trump tweeted earlier this month.

24 House Ratings Change in Favor of Democrats, One Month Out

[jwp-video n=”1″]

Recent Stories

Final election results show House Democrats gained a net of one seat

Here’s how the media missed the story, from joy to democracy

Rep. Andy Kim finds ‘shell shock’ among South Korean contacts over martial law

Helmy to resign on Dec. 8, allowing Andy Kim to take Senate seat early

Senate Democrats approve leadership team for new Congress

Supreme Court to hear arguments on youth transgender care ban