New poll results released Monday show close races for the presidential and U.S. Senate campaigns in Wisconsin, with Democrats holding a slight lead over Republicans.
Public Policy Polling conducted a poll of Wisconsin residents for Democracy for America that showed 49 percent of voters currently plan to support President Barack Obama in the Nov. 6 election, one point more than the 48 percent who plan to support Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
The poll also showed U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., leading Republican former Gov. Tommy Thompson in the race for the U.S. Senate seat that retiring senator Herb Kohl, D-Wis., will leave open. Baldwin received 48 percent of support in the poll compared to Thompson's 45.
In its mid-August poll, PPP had shown Thompson leading Baldwin by five points.
David Canon, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor, said more voters recognized Thompson's name early in the race because of his former position as governor of Wisconsin.
Baldwin's campaign strategy includes introducing herself to voters through ads, according to Canon.
To fund that campaign, Baldwin has raised over $7 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Thompson has raised just under $2.5 million.
Roughly three-fourths of Baldwin's campaign contributions come from out of state, according to the CRD. Thompson's campaign contributions are almost equally split between in- and out-of-state donations.
Canon said the amount of out-of-state contributions is "substantial."
"To have outside money coming in during a tight race like this can really be a huge boost for the campaigns," he said.
