June 25, 2025
Also:
Please note: Complete Poll results and methodology information can be found online at
MILWAUKEE 鈥� A new 黑料不打烊Law School Poll survey of Wisconsin finds that 48% of registered voters approve of the job Tony Evers is doing as governor, while 46% disapprove. Forty-two percent say they would like Evers to seek a third term as governor in 2026, while 55% do not want him to run again.
Support for Evers running for a third term next year is greater than it was for former Gov. Scott Walker in January 2016, when 36% wanted him to seek a third term in 2018 and 61% did not.
The survey was conducted June 13-19, 2025, interviewing 873 Wisconsin registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-4.7 percentage points. To cover more subjects, a number of items were asked of random half-samples of 436 or 437 registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-6.6 percentage points. (All results are stated as percentages.)
A large majority of Democrats, 83%, support a third term bid by Evers. Among independents, 37% favor a third term and 50% oppose another race for Evers. Republicans oppose a third term by 93% to just 7% in favor. Table 1 shows the results by party identification.
Table 1: Want Evers to seek third term run, by party identification
Among registered voters
|
Party ID |
Want third-term run |
|
|
Yes |
No |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
42 |
55 |
|
Republican |
7 |
93 |
|
Independent |
37 |
50 |
|
Democrat |
83 |
15 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Would you personally like to see Tony Evers run for a third term as governor in 2026? |
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In June, Evers鈥� job approval was 48% against 46% disapproval, with 5% who don鈥檛 know. His job approval has remained close to 50% throughout his time as governor, averaging 50.4% over 35 黑料不打烊polls, with an average disapproval of 41.2% and 7.7% saying they don鈥檛 know. Table 2 shows the full history of Evers鈥� approval rating. Evers enjoyed especially high net approval ratings during the early months of the Covid pandemic in 2020, and slipped into slightly negative territory during his campaign for reelection in 2022. His approval has been net positive in 31 polls and net negative in 4.
Table 2: Evers job approval
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Approval |
|||
|
Net |
Approve |
Disapprove |
Don't know |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
2 |
48 |
46 |
5 |
|
2/19-26/25 |
5 |
49 |
44 |
6 |
|
10/16-24/24 |
6 |
51 |
45 |
4 |
|
9/18-26/24 |
2 |
48 |
46 |
5 |
|
8/28-9/5/24 |
7 |
51 |
44 |
5 |
|
7/24-8/1/24 |
7 |
51 |
44 |
5 |
|
6/12-20/24 |
7 |
51 |
44 |
6 |
|
4/3-10/24 |
8 |
52 |
44 |
3 |
|
1/24-31/24 |
7 |
51 |
44 |
5 |
|
10/26-11/2/23 |
7 |
53 |
46 |
2 |
|
6/8-13/23 |
18 |
57 |
39 |
4 |
|
10/24-11/1/22 |
-1 |
46 |
47 |
6 |
|
10/3-9/22 |
-2 |
46 |
48 |
5 |
|
9/6-11/22 |
-3 |
44 |
47 |
8 |
|
8/10-15/22 |
2 |
47 |
45 |
8 |
|
6/14-20/22 |
3 |
48 |
45 |
6 |
|
4/19-24/22 |
6 |
49 |
43 |
7 |
|
2/22-27/22 |
9 |
50 |
41 |
8 |
|
10/26-31/21 |
-1 |
45 |
46 |
8 |
|
8/3-8/21 |
7 |
50 |
43 |
7 |
|
10/21-25/20 |
7 |
50 |
43 |
7 |
|
9/30-10/4/20 |
10 |
52 |
42 |
5 |
|
8/30-9/3/20 |
8 |
51 |
43 |
5 |
|
8/4-9/20 |
20 |
57 |
37 |
6 |
|
6/14-18/20 |
16 |
54 |
38 |
6 |
|
5/3-7/20 |
26 |
59 |
33 |
7 |
|
3/24-29/20 |
36 |
65 |
29 |
6 |
|
2/19-23/20 |
13 |
51 |
38 |
10 |
|
1/8-12/20 |
11 |
51 |
40 |
9 |
|
12/3-8/19 |
12 |
50 |
38 |
11 |
|
11/13-17/19 |
5 |
47 |
42 |
10 |
|
10/13-17/19 |
18 |
52 |
34 |
13 |
|
8/25-29/19 |
20 |
54 |
34 |
10 |
|
4/3-7/19 |
10 |
47 |
37 |
15 |
|
1/16-20/19 |
17 |
39 |
22 |
38 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Tony Evers is handling his job as Governor of Wisconsin? |
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In the current poll, Evers has very high approval from Democrats, 91%, and very high disapproval from Republicans, 86%. Independents are slightly more disapproving, 45%, than approving, 43%, as shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Approval of Evers, by party identification
Among registered voters
|
Party ID |
Approval |
|||
|
Net |
Approve |
Disapprove |
Don't know |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
2 |
48 |
46 |
5 |
|
Republican |
-75 |
11 |
86 |
3 |
|
Independent |
-2 |
43 |
45 |
12 |
|
Democrat |
87 |
91 |
4 |
5 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Tony Evers is handling his job as Governor of Wisconsin? |
||||
Approval of the job the Wisconsin legislature is doing stands at 41%, with disapproval at 50%. Over 18 黑料不打烊polls since 2019, the legislature鈥檚 average approval rating is 40.9% and average disapproval is 46.9%, with an average of 11.7% saying they don鈥檛 know.
A majority of Republicans, 51%, approve of how the legislature is doing its job, while most Democrats, 58%, disapprove. Independents are more disapproving, 48%, than approving, 29%, as shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Approval of legislature鈥檚 job performance, by party identification
Among registered voters
|
Party ID |
Approval |
|||
|
Net |
Approve |
Disapprove |
Don't know |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
-9 |
41 |
50 |
10 |
|
Republican |
8 |
51 |
43 |
5 |
|
Independent |
-19 |
29 |
48 |
22 |
|
Democrat |
-26 |
32 |
58 |
10 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way the Wisconsin legislature is handling its job? |
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has a job-performance approval rating of 49% with disapproval at 38%. This is the strongest net approval of the court in seven 黑料不打烊polls taken since October 2023. The court鈥檚 average approval over those surveys is 46.7%, with average disapproval of 39.7%. More respondents say they don鈥檛 know about the court than in the case of the governor or legislature, averaging 13.3%.
A majority of Democrats, 73%, approve of the court鈥檚 work, while a majority of Republicans, 62%, disapprove. Independents are about evenly divided, with 44% who approve and 40% who disapprove. The full results are shown in Table 5.
Table 5: Approval of Wisconsin Supreme Court鈥檚 job performance, by party identification
Among registered voters
|
Party ID |
Approval |
|||
|
Net |
Approve |
Disapprove |
Don't know |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
11 |
49 |
38 |
13 |
|
Republican |
-34 |
28 |
62 |
9 |
|
Independent |
4 |
44 |
40 |
16 |
|
Democrat |
60 |
73 |
13 |
14 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way the Wisconsin state Supreme Court is handling its job? |
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In the aftermath of recent Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 58% say court campaigns have become so partisan that we may as well have candidates run as nominees of political parties, while 42% say it is better to continue to have Wisconsin Supreme Court election ballots not indicate a political party of the candidates. Seventy-three percent of Republicans favor changing to partisan Supreme Court elections, while 58% of Democrats prefer keeping the current nonpartisan elections. Independents are closely divided, with 54% favoring partisan elections and 46% preferring nonpartisan elections. Those who approve of how the court is handling its job are more inclined to keep nonpartisan elections, 54%, while those who disapprove of the court prefer changing to explicitly partisan elections, 75%.
Views of Donald Trump and national issues
President Donald Trump鈥檚 approval stands at 47%, while 52% disapprove. In February鈥檚 黑料不打烊Law School Poll, 48% approved and 51% disapproved. By comparison, during his first term in June 2017, Trump鈥檚 approval was 41% and disapproval was 51%.
Approval by party identification is shown in Table 6. Republican approval remains very high at 90%, down very slightly from 92% in February. Approval among independents is 38%, hardly changed from February鈥檚 39%. Virtually all Democrats, 98%, disapprove of Trump, almost the same as in February, when 97% disapproved.
Table 6: Approval of Trump, by party identification
Among registered voters
|
Party ID |
Approval |
|||
|
Net |
Approve |
Disapprove |
Don't know |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
-5 |
47 |
52 |
1 |
|
Republican |
81 |
90 |
9 |
1 |
|
Independent |
-21 |
38 |
59 |
2 |
|
Democrat |
-97 |
1 |
98 |
1 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president? |
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Voters remain concerned about the impact of tariffs on the economy, with 57% saying tariffs hurt the economy, 31% saying they help, and 10% saying they have no effect on the economy. Partisans are sharply divided, with 61% of Republicans saying tariffs help the economy, while 64% of independents and 95% of Democrats say they hurt the economy.
Trump鈥檚 policy proposals are seen as likely to increase inflation by 55%, while 31% say these policies will decrease inflation and 12% think they will have no effect. Sixty-one percent of Republicans say that Trump鈥檚 policies will lower inflation, while 54% of independents and 95% of Democrats think they will increase inflation.
As the debate over the reconciliation bill continues in Congress, 67% say that approving the bill backed by Trump will end up increasing the federal deficit, while 30% think it will reduce the deficit. Republicans are more likely to say the deficit will decrease, 56%, while 71% of independents and 91% of Democrats think the deficit will increase.
A majority, 56%, favor deporting immigrants in the United States illegally, while 43% oppose deportations. In February, 61% favored deportations and 38% opposed them.
When asked about including in deportations longtime residents with jobs and no criminal record, 44% favor and 56% oppose such deportations. In February, 50% favored and 50% opposed deporting long-term residents without criminal records.
Wisconsin budget and policy
As the governor and legislature struggle over a possible tax cut, the public supports using at least some of the roughly $4 billion state budget surplus for tax cuts. Asked what percentage of the $4 billion state surplus should be used for tax cuts, 65% say half or more of the surplus should go to tax cuts, including 27% who say it should all go to tax cuts, 9% who say three-quarters, and 29% who say about half. Nineteen percent say a quarter of the surplus should go for tax cuts, and 16% say none of it should go for tax cuts. Republicans prefer a larger amount for tax cuts, while Democrats prefer a smaller share. Independents are somewhat in the middle, as shown in Table 7.
Table 7: Share of surplus for tax cut, by party identification
Among registered voters
|
Party ID |
Share of surplus for tax cut |
|||||
|
All of it used for a tax cut |
About three quarters used for a tax cut |
About half used for a tax cut |
About one quarter used for a tax cut |
None of it used for a tax cut |
Don't know |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
27 |
9 |
29 |
19 |
16 |
1 |
|
Republican |
45 |
11 |
26 |
10 |
7 |
1 |
|
Independent |
30 |
8 |
32 |
20 |
8 |
2 |
|
Democrat |
6 |
8 |
32 |
28 |
27 |
0 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Wisconsin currently has about a $4 billion dollar budget surplus. How much of that, if any, would you like to see given back to taxpayers through a tax cut? |
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Proposed legislation would extend Medicaid coverage for new mothers to one year after giving birth. This is favored by 66% and opposed by 32%. In February, opinion was nearly identical, with 67% in favor and 33% opposed. A majority of Republicans, 57%, oppose this coverage for new mothers, while 75% of independents favor it, as do 92% of Democrats.
Debate over funding for the Universities of Wisconsin system has become a consistent issue in budget cycles. The public currently is about evenly divided on state support for public universities, with 27% saying the state should increase funding for the universities, 49% favoring keeping funding about the same, and 23% saying the state should reduce funding. Those with a college degree are somewhat more likely that non-college-degree individuals to favor a funding increase, but still fewer than a majority, 36%, say so, as shown in Table 8.
Table 8: Funding for universities, by education
Among registered voters
|
Education |
Funding for universities |
||
|
Increase |
Keep the same |
Reduce |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
27 |
49 |
23 |
|
Non-college-degree individuals |
21 |
52 |
26 |
|
College degree |
36 |
46 |
18 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Do you think the state should increase funding for the state university system, keep it about the same, or reduce state funding? |
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This reluctance to increase funding for public universities persists when respondents were told that 鈥淲isconsin currently ranks 44th of 50 states in public funding for four-year state universities and has recently closed several two-year campuses.鈥� When told this, a majority, 57%, say the universities have to adjust to the current level of state support, while 41% say state funding should be increased. In answering this question, a substantial majority of non-college graduates, 65%, say universities have to adjust to current funding, while a slight majority of college graduates, 53%, favor increased funding for universities.
Partisans are substantially divided on university funding increases, with a large majority of Republicans, 86%, saying universities must adjust to current funding, as do 59% of independents. In contrast, 71% of Democrats say the state should increase support for universities.
Wisconsin governors have long enjoyed one of the nation鈥檚 most extensive partial veto powers over budget legislation. A majority of registered voters, 54%, say the partial veto gives the governor too much power, while 32% say it is an appropriate power and 14% say they don鈥檛 know. A large majority of Republicans, 83%, say this is too much power, as do 55% of independents. A majority of Democrats, 61%, say it is an appropriate power.
Wisconsin voters do not currently have the ability to put issues on the ballot for statewide referenda. A proposal to adopt a process that would allow citizens to put issues on the ballot by gathering sufficient signatures statewide is supported by 77% and opposed by 21%. Such a citizens鈥� initiative process holds majority support from all partisan groups, with 68% support of Republicans, 79% from independents, and 85% among Democrats.
A majority of Wisconsin registered voters favor legalizing marijuana, 67%, with 33% opposed. Support for legalization grew to more than 60% in 2022, where it has remained since. The trend in views of marijuana policy since 2013 is shown in Table 9.
Table 9: Legalize marijuana
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Legalize |
||
|
Yes, legal |
No, illegal |
Don't Know |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
67 |
33 |
0 |
|
1/24-31/24 |
63 |
29 |
7 |
|
10/3-9/22 |
64 |
30 |
6 |
|
8/10-15/22 |
69 |
23 |
8 |
|
2/22-27/22 |
61 |
31 |
7 |
|
4/3-7/19 |
59 |
36 |
4 |
|
1/16-20/19 |
59 |
35 |
7 |
|
9/11-14/14 |
46 |
51 |
2 |
|
3/20-23/14 |
42 |
52 |
6 |
|
10/21-24/13 |
50 |
45 |
5 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Do you think the use of marijuana should be made legal, or not? |
|||
A majority of Republicans, 56%, oppose legalization, while majorities of independents, 79%, and of Democrats, 88%, favor legalizing marijuana.
Schools
Seventy-one percent favor 鈥渁 major increase鈥� in state aid for special education for public schools, while 29% oppose such an increase. In polls since 2019, more than 70% have favored such an increase each time, as shown in Table 10.
Table 10: Major increase in aid for special education
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Aid increase |
|
|
Support |
Oppose |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
71 |
29 |
|
2/19-26/25 |
76 |
23 |
|
8/3-8/21 |
72 |
19 |
|
4/3-7/19 |
74 |
19 |
|
1/16-20/19 |
73 |
20 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Would you favor or oppose a major increase in state aid for special education for public school students? |
||
One proposal has called for the state to cover 60% of school districts鈥� special education costs, compared to the current rate of about 30%. When the question is phrased as 鈥淭he state currently covers about 30% of Wisconsin school districts鈥� special education costs for public schools. Would you favor or oppose having the state pay for 60% of Wisconsin school districts鈥� special education costs?鈥� 66% favor the increase, while 32% oppose it.
There is substantial support for a proposal to provide comprehensive mental health services in schools statewide. This is favored by 75% and opposed by 25%. Majorities of each partisan group favor providing mental health services, 54% among Republicans, 80% among independents, and 95% among Democrats.
Sixty-three percent say they are very or somewhat satisfied with the job public schools are doing in their community, while 36% are very or somewhat dissatisfied. Satisfaction has generally been above 60% in polling since 2018, which is a bit lower than in polls from 2012 to 2017, as shown in Table 11.
Table 11: Satisfaction with job schools are doing
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Satisfaction |
||
|
Very satisfied/satisfied |
Very dissatisfied/dissatisfied |
Don't know/mixed |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
63 |
36 |
1 |
|
2/19-26/25 |
58 |
41 |
1 |
|
10/16-24/24 |
65 |
35 |
1 |
|
9/18-26/24 |
64 |
36 |
1 |
|
6/12-20/24 |
46 |
41 |
13 |
|
10/26-11/2/23 |
63 |
35 |
2 |
|
6/8-13/23 |
67 |
31 |
2 |
|
9/6-11/22 |
62 |
31 |
7 |
|
4/19-24/22 |
62 |
32 |
5 |
|
10/26-31/21 |
60 |
30 |
9 |
|
8/3-8/21 |
69 |
22 |
9 |
|
1/8-12/20 |
59 |
33 |
8 |
|
9/12-16/18 |
64 |
25 |
11 |
|
3/13-16/17 |
74 |
19 |
6 |
|
4/7-10/15 |
75 |
21 |
3 |
|
5/6-9/13 |
71 |
25 |
4 |
|
3/11-13/13 |
81 |
14 |
5 |
|
5/23-26/12 |
71 |
24 |
5 |
|
5/9-12/12 |
68 |
25 |
6 |
|
4/26-29/12 |
66 |
27 |
6 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: How satisfied are you with the job the public schools are doing in your community? |
|||
Voters have grown more concerned with holding down property taxes than with increasing funding for K-12 schools in recent years. In this poll, 57% say property taxes are more important while 43% say funding for K-12 schools is more important. In 2013, more voters were also concerned with property taxes than school funding, but this reversed from 2015 until November 2022. Since June 2023, more have rated reducing property taxes as the more important issue. The full trend is shown in Table 12.
Table 12: More important: property taxes or K-12 funding
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Which more important |
|
|
Reducing property taxes |
Increasing spending on public schools |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
57 |
43 |
|
2/19-26/25 |
58 |
41 |
|
10/16-24/24 |
55 |
44 |
|
9/18-26/24 |
56 |
44 |
|
10/26-11/2/23 |
52 |
47 |
|
6/8-13/23 |
50 |
47 |
|
10/24-11/1/22 |
46 |
48 |
|
10/3-9/22 |
42 |
52 |
|
9/6-11/22 |
41 |
51 |
|
8/10-15/22 |
43 |
52 |
|
4/19-24/22 |
46 |
50 |
|
8/3-8/21 |
42 |
52 |
|
2/19-23/20 |
38 |
56 |
|
1/8-12/20 |
41 |
55 |
|
1/16-20/19 |
39 |
55 |
|
10/24-28/18 |
40 |
55 |
|
10/3-7/18 |
37 |
57 |
|
9/12-16/18 |
38 |
57 |
|
8/15-19/18 |
32 |
61 |
|
6/13-17/18 |
35 |
59 |
|
2/25-3/1/18 |
33 |
63 |
|
4/7-10/15 |
40 |
54 |
|
5/6-9/13 |
49 |
46 |
|
3/11-13/13 |
49 |
46 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: Which is more important to you: reduce property taxes or increase spending on public schools? |
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While concern for property taxes has increased, a slight majority, 52%, say they would be inclined to vote for a referendum to increase taxes for schools in their community, while 46% say they would vote against a referendum. There has been a slight decline in support for school referendums since 2016, with increased opposition, as shown in Table 13.
Table 13: Vote for or against school tax referendum
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Referendum vote |
||
|
Vote for |
Vote against |
Don't know |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
52 |
46 |
1 |
|
2/19-23/20 |
57 |
34 |
8 |
|
1/21-24/16 |
55 |
35 |
9 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: If your local school board proposed a referendum to increase taxes for schools would you be more inclined to vote for or to vote against that referendum? |
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There is considerable lack of information among the public about how schools are performing in teaching reading, with 40% saying they haven鈥檛 heard enough to know if reading tests scores in their communities have changed over the last five years. About a third, 34%, say test scores have gone down, while 21% think they have stayed about the same. Only 4% think scores have gone up. There has been little change in these perceptions in polls since June 2024, as shown in Table 14.
Table 14: Change in reading test scores
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Reading test scores |
|||
|
Gone up |
Stayed same |
Gone down |
Haven't heard enough |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
4 |
21 |
34 |
40 |
|
2/19-26/25 |
5 |
19 |
32 |
45 |
|
6/12-20/24 |
6 |
18 |
35 |
41 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
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|
Question: In the public schools in your community, over the last five years, would you say reading test scores have gone up, stayed about the same, gone down, or haven鈥檛 you heard enough to say? |
||||
Combining these three recent polls, parents of school age children are only a little less likely to say they haven鈥檛 heard enough about test scores, 36%, compared to those without children in school, 44%. Test performance is seen as slightly better among parents than non-parents, as shown in Table 15.
Table 15: Change in reading test scores, by parental status
Among registered voters
|
|
Reading test scores |
|||
|
Kids in school |
Gone up |
Stayed same |
Gone down |
Haven't heard enough |
|
No kids under 18 |
4 |
18 |
34 |
44 |
|
Has kids under 18 |
8 |
22 |
35 |
36 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, combined June 2024, February 2025, June 2025 |
||||
|
Question: In the public schools in your community, over the last five years, would you say reading test scores have gone up, stayed about the same, gone down, or haven鈥檛 you heard enough to say? |
||||
Satisfaction with public schools is higher than average among those who think reading test scores have gone up or stayed the same, while those who think scores have gone down are especially dissatisfied with schools. Those saying they haven鈥檛 heard about test scores are more satisfied than not, but less so than among all respondents, as shown in Table 16, which combines results from June 2024, February 2025 and June 2025.
Table 16: Satisfaction with schools, by perceived test scores
Among registered voters
|
Perceived test scores |
Satisfaction with schools |
||
|
Very satisfied/satisfied |
Very dissatisfied/dissatisfied |
Don't know/mixed |
|
|
Gone up |
80 |
20 |
0 |
|
Stayed same |
75 |
24 |
1 |
|
Gone down |
35 |
63 |
2 |
|
Haven't heard enough |
56 |
30 |
14 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, combined June 2024, February 2025, June 2025 |
|||
|
Question: How satisfied are you with the job the public schools are doing in your community? |
|||
|
Question: In the public schools in your community, over the last five years, would you say reading test scores have gone up, stayed about the same, gone down, or haven鈥檛 you heard enough to say? |
|||
A majority of respondents, 58%, say Wisconsin schools have set their educational standards lower than they should be, with 34% saying standards are about where they should be and 6% saying standards are too high. In 黑料不打烊Law School Poll surveys since 2014, the most frequent response has been that standards are too low, with an increase in this response in 2025 polls, as shown in Table 17.
Table 17: Wisconsin education standards
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Education standards |
||
|
About where they should be |
Higher than they should be |
Lower than they should be |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
34 |
6 |
58 |
|
2/19-26/25 |
34 |
6 |
60 |
|
2/22-27/22 |
31 |
12 |
47 |
|
1/20-23/14 |
32 |
15 |
47 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
|||
|
Question: Do you think Wisconsin schools have set their education standards about where they should be, higher than they should be or lower than they should be? |
|||
Respondents overwhelmingly favor banning cell phones in schools during class periods, 89%, with 11% opposed. Seventy-two percent support banning cell phones throughout the school day, including lunch and between classes, with 28% opposed. Parents of school age children are slightly more in favor of both bans than are non-parents.
Seventy-four percent of voters say they would work with neighbors to keep the closest elementary school open if it were going to be closed, while 25% would not. This is similar for parents, 76%, and for non-parents, 73%. Support for keeping an elementary school open is high across the state, with slightly higher support in small towns and rural areas, as shown in Table 18.
Table 18: Keep elementary school open, by urban-rural
Among registered voters
|
Urban-rural area |
Work to keep school open |
|
|
Yes |
No |
|
|
Urban areas |
73 |
26 |
|
Exurbs and large towns |
71 |
29 |
|
Rural and small towns |
80 |
20 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||
|
Question: Would you work with your neighbors to keep the closest elementary school open if it were going to be closed down? |
||
Just over half, 51%, think that if they went to the local school board with a problem, they would get a fair hearing, while 46% say they would not get a fair hearing. Those who say they are satisfied with their local schools are much more likely to expect a fair hearing, 65%, while those dissatisfied with the schools are more likely to not expect a fair hearing, 70%. There is a smaller but still substantial gap by partisanship, with majorities of Republicans and independents expecting not to get a fair hearing and a majority of Democrats expecting a fair hearing, as shown in Table 19.
Table 19: Get a fair hearing from school board, by party identification
Among registered voters
|
Party ID |
Get a fair hearing |
|
|
Yes |
No |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
51 |
46 |
|
Republican |
41 |
57 |
|
Independent |
39 |
55 |
|
Democrat |
64 |
33 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||
|
Question: If you went to your local school board with a problem, do you think you would get a fair hearing? |
||
Support for private school vouchers for students statewide stands at 52%, with 47% opposed. Support for statewide vouchers has declined since 2022, as shown in Table 20.
Table 20: Support for school vouchers statewide
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
School vouchers |
|
|
Favor |
Oppose |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
52 |
47 |
|
2/19-26/25 |
57 |
43 |
|
6/8-13/23 |
54 |
44 |
|
4/19-24/22 |
58 |
33 |
|
2/22-27/22 |
58 |
37 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
||
|
Question: Do you favor or oppose allowing all students statewide to use publicly funded vouchers to attend private or religious schools if they wish to do so? |
||
When asked to choose between increasing state spending for students to attend private schools or budgeting more for public schools, 31% favor more for private schools and 69% prefer more spending for public schools. This has shown little change in polling since 2022, as shown in Table 21.
Table 21: Increase state support for private or public schools
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
More support for private or public schools |
|
|
Private schools |
Public schools |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
31 |
69 |
|
2/19-26/25 |
33 |
67 |
|
6/8-13/23 |
28 |
71 |
|
10/24-11/1/22 |
29 |
63 |
|
10/3-9/22 |
28 |
64 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
||
|
Question: If you were making the choice for the next Wisconsin state budget between increasing state support for (students to attend private schools) or increasing state support for (public schools), which would you favor, (private schools) or (public schools)? |
||
Measles vaccinations and awareness
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 84.8% of Wisconsin kindergartners had received the recommended two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine as of the 2023-24 school year. Nationwide, the rate of vaccination was 92.7%, with Wisconsin ranking among the lowest-rate states. Respondents were asked if they thought the benefits of the MMR vaccination outweigh the risks, or if the risks outweigh the benefits. Eighty-four percent of respondents say the benefits outweigh the risks, while 15% say the risks outweigh the benefits.
Those with school-age children are less likely to say the benefits outweigh the risks than are those without children, as shown in Table 22.
Table 22: MMR vaccine benefits and risks by school age children
Among registered voters
|
School-age kids |
Vaccine benefits and risks |
|
|
The benefits of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the risks |
The risks of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the benefits |
|
|
No kids under 18 |
86 |
12 |
|
Has kids under 18 |
77 |
21 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||
|
Question: Which comes closest to your view, even if neither is exactly right? The [benefits/risks] of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the [risks/benefits]? |
||
Younger parents, those under 45 years old, are especially skeptical of vaccines compared to those the same age without school-age children. Among parents in this age group, 74% say the benefits outweigh the risks and 24% say the risks are greater. Among those under 45 without children, 95% say the benefits are greater and 5% say the risks are greater.
Views of the vaccine are also related to partisanship, with Republicans most likely to say the risks outweigh the benefits, 26%, closely followed by independents, 20%. In contrast, only 1% of Democrats say the risks outweigh the benefits. Table 23 shows the full results.
Table 23: Vaccine benefits and risks, by party identification
Among registered voters
|
Party ID |
Vaccine benefits and risks |
|
|
The benefits of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the risks |
The risks of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the benefits |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
84 |
15 |
|
Republican |
73 |
26 |
|
Independent |
77 |
20 |
|
Democrat |
99 |
1 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||
|
Question: Which comes closest to your view, even if neither is exactly right? The [benefits/risks] of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the [risks/benefits]? |
||
Doubts about the MMR vaccine are higher in rural areas and small towns than in either urban or exurban areas, as shown in Table 24.
Table 24: Vaccine benefits and risks by urban-rural
Among registered voters
|
Urban-rural area |
Vaccine benefits and risks |
|
|
The benefits of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the risks |
The risks of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the benefits |
|
|
Urban areas |
85 |
13 |
|
Exurbs and large towns |
85 |
12 |
|
Rural and small towns |
78 |
22 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||
|
Question: Which comes closest to your view, even if neither is exactly right? The [benefits/risks] of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the [risks/benefits]? |
||
Among all registered voters, 29% say they have read or heard a lot about the Texas measles outbreak, 47% say they have heard a little, and 24% have heard nothing at all. Parents of school-age children are almost twice as likely to have heard nothing at all about the outbreak than are those without children, as shown in Table 25.
Table 25: Heard about Texas/New Mexico measles outbreak, by school-age children
Among registered voters
|
School-age kids |
Read or heard |
||
|
A lot |
A little |
Nothing at all |
|
|
No kids under 18 |
33 |
48 |
20 |
|
Has kids under 18 |
18 |
46 |
36 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
|||
|
Question: How much have you heard or read about a measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico? |
|||
There are also partisan differences in awareness of the measles outbreak, with Republicans and independents much more likely to have heard nothing than Democrats, as shown in Table 26.
Table 26: Heard about Texas/New Mexico measles outbreak, by party identification
Among registered voters
|
Party ID |
Read or heard |
||
|
A lot |
A little |
Nothing at all |
|
|
Among all registered voters |
29 |
47 |
24 |
|
Republican |
21 |
48 |
31 |
|
Independent |
24 |
40 |
36 |
|
Democrat |
38 |
49 |
14 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
|||
|
Question: How much have you heard or read about a measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico? |
|||
Water-supply issues
Seventy-nine percent say they are very or somewhat concerned about PFAS, often described as forever chemicals, in their water supply, with 21% not too or not at all concerned. Concern over PFAS has increased since 2022 in the 黑料不打烊Law School Poll, as shown in Table 27.
Table 27: Concern about PFAS in water supply
Among registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Concern about PFAS |
|
|
Very/somewhat concerned |
Not too/not at all concerned |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
79 |
21 |
|
6/12-20/24 |
68 |
25 |
|
6/8-13/23 |
69 |
29 |
|
6/14-20/22 |
60 |
34 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
||
|
Question: How concerned are you about certain long-lasting chemicals, known as PFAS, contaminating your drinking water? |
||
As for the respondent鈥檚 own community, 16% have heard a lot about PFAS in the local water, 43% have heard a little, and 41% have heard nothing at all. Those who have heard about this issue in their community are much more concerned than those who have heard nothing, as shown in Table 28.
Table 28: Concern about PFAS, by heard about PFAS in community
Among registered voters
|
Heard about PFAS in community |
Concern |
|
|
Very/somewhat concerned |
Not too/not at all concerned |
|
|
A lot |
90 |
10 |
|
A little |
89 |
11 |
|
Nothing at all |
66 |
34 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||
|
Question: How much have you heard about PFAS contamination in your community? |
||
Water quality issues are seen as an isolated problem by 35% but are seen as a concern throughout the state by 62%.
The most important concern about water safety is emerging contaminants such as microplastics and PFAS, cited by 33%; followed by fertilizer runoff, 16%; and infrastructure upkeep, 14%. Some 15% don鈥檛 see any of these topics as a concern. Lead pipes are mentioned as most important by 9% and are cited more often in the Milwaukee area (14%). The full list of concerns is shown in Table 29.
Table 29: Most important concerns about water supply
Among registered voters
|
Concern |
Percent most important |
|
Percent |
|
|
Emerging contaminants such as microplastics and PFAS |
33 |
|
Fertilizer runoff |
16 |
|
None of these is a problem |
15 |
|
Infrastructure upkeep and renewal |
14 |
|
Lead pipes |
9 |
|
Something else |
6 |
|
Affordability challenges |
5 |
|
Water scarcity/drought |
2 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
|
|
Question: Which of the following is the most important issue affecting the safety of your drinking water? |
|
Local news
Sixty-eight percent say they follow what鈥檚 going on in politics most of the time, 22% say some of the time, 7% say only now and then, and 4% say they follow politics hardly at all.
Local community news receives less attention, with 28% saying they follow it very closely, 53% somewhat closely, 16% not too closely, and 3% not at all closely.
Fifty percent of respondents say local news outlets are very important for the well-being of their community, with 40% who say they are somewhat important, 8% not very important, and 2% not at all important.
Respondents cite a wide variety of sources they follow most for local news. Local TV news tops the list at 29%, followed by online newspaper websites at 21% and 7% who read a printed newspaper. Social media such as Facebook is the main source of local news for 19%. All other sources are mentioned by fewer than 7% of respondents in each case, though together these other sources add up to almost 20%. The full list is shown in Table 30.
Table 30: Main source of local news
Among registered voters
|
Local news source |
Percent |
|
Local TV station |
29 |
|
An online website for a local daily or weekly newspaper |
21 |
|
Social media such as Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram |
19 |
|
A local daily or weekly printed newspaper |
7 |
|
Another source |
7 |
|
Conversations with friends and neighbors |
6 |
|
Local radio station |
5 |
|
Don't follow local news from any source |
5 |
|
Community or neighborhood newsletter or email list |
2 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
|
|
Question: Where do you get most of your news about your community and the nearby area? |
|
People encounter local TV news from different sources. Forty-nine percent say they get the news from the station on TV. The remainder get that news from various sources, with 20% saying they get the news from the station鈥檚 website and 14% saying they get it from the station鈥檚 social media posts. Still, 17% say they don鈥檛 get news from local TV at all.
As for the sources of news from a newspaper, 26% get that from the paper鈥檚 website, followed by 20% from the print edition and 17% from the paper鈥檚 social media posts. Thirty-seven percent say they don鈥檛 get any news from a newspaper source.
Only 23% say they subscribe to the local newspaper, either in print or online, leaving 77% who are nonsubscribers. However, 54% of non-subscribers nevertheless say they get news from the paper鈥檚 various sources, as shown in Table 31.
Table 31: Sources of news from newspapers by subscriber status
Among registered voters
|
|
Sources of news from newspaper |
|||
|
Do you subscribe to a local newspaper or its website in your area? |
The newspaper's print version |
The newspaper's website, app or email |
The newspaper's social media posts |
I don't get news from a local newspaper |
|
Yes |
45 |
38 |
12 |
5 |
|
No |
13 |
23 |
18 |
46 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||||
|
Question: When you get local news and information from a local newspaper, how do you primarily get that news? |
||||
|
Question: Do you subscribe to a local newspaper or its website in your area? |
||||
Urban, exurban, and rural area residents consume local TV news at remarkably equal rates, though rural areas are less likely to get such TV news from a website. Social media conveys a similar volume of TV news in urban and exurban areas, with slightly less in rural areas. Rural residents are more likely to say they don鈥檛 get any local TV news. The full results are shown in Table 32.
Table 32: Sources of news from local TV, by urban-rural areas
Among registered voters
|
Urban-rural area |
Sources of news from TV |
|||
|
The station on TV |
The station's website, app or email |
The station's social media posts |
I don't get news from local TV |
|
|
Urban areas |
49 |
21 |
16 |
14 |
|
Exurbs and large towns |
49 |
23 |
14 |
14 |
|
Rural and small towns |
49 |
13 |
11 |
27 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||||
|
Question: When you get local news and information from local TV stations, how do you primarily get that news? |
||||
In contrast to TV, rural areas are more likely to get local news from a printed newspaper source than are urban areas, and less likely to do so on a website. The percentages getting no local news from newspapers, about a third, is quite similar across the urban-rural landscape, as shown in Table 33.
Table 33: Sources of news from newspapers, by urban-rural areas
Among registered voters
|
Urban-rural area |
Sources of news from newspapers |
|||
|
The newspaper's print version |
The newspaper's website, app or email |
The newspaper's social media posts |
I don't get news from a local newspaper |
|
|
Urban areas |
13 |
32 |
17 |
38 |
|
Exurbs and large towns |
22 |
23 |
20 |
36 |
|
Rural and small towns |
38 |
14 |
15 |
33 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||||
|
Question: When you get local news and information from a local newspaper, how do you primarily get that news? |
||||
Favorability ratings
Favorability to political figures and organizations is shown in Table 34.
Table 34: Favorability of political figures and organizations
Among registered voters
|
Political figure or organization |
Favorability |
|||
|
Net |
Favorable |
Unfavorable |
Haven't heard enough |
|
|
Tony Evers |
-2 |
45 |
47 |
8 |
|
Ron Johnson |
-4 |
40 |
44 |
15 |
|
Tammy Baldwin |
-3 |
44 |
47 |
8 |
|
Donald Trump |
-8 |
45 |
53 |
2 |
|
JD Vance |
-6 |
43 |
49 |
8 |
|
Elon Musk |
-19 |
38 |
57 |
4 |
|
The Republican Party |
-8 |
43 |
51 |
5 |
|
The Democratic Party |
-25 |
36 |
61 |
3 |
|
The MAGA movement |
-10 |
43 |
53 |
3 |
|
The Black Lives Matter movement |
-16 |
37 |
53 |
10 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin survey, June 13-19, 2025 |
||||
|
Question: Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of <> or haven't you heard enough about them yet? |
||||
Sen. Ron Johnson has said he opposes the Republican reconciliation bill because it will increase the federal deficit. That position does not seem to have affected his favorability rating among Republicans in polling, shown since October in Table 35.
Table 35: Ron Johnson favorability among Republicans
Among Republican registered voters
|
Poll dates |
Favorability |
||
|
Favorable |
Unfavorable |
Haven't heard enough |
|
|
6/13-19/25 |
75 |
11 |
15 |
|
2/19-26/25 |
77 |
10 |
13 |
|
10/16-24/24 |
76 |
10 |
14 |
|
黑料不打烊Law School Poll, Wisconsin surveys, latest: June 13-19, 2025 |
|||
|
Question: [Ron Johnson] Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of <> or haven't you heard enough about them yet? |
|||
Despite Johnson鈥檚 criticism of the legislation, a majority (56%) of Republicans think the deficit will be reduced by the budget legislation, while 43% of Republicans think it will increase the deficit. Johnson鈥檚 favorability with Republicans who think the deficit will go down is 77% and with those who think the deficit will increase is 71%.
About the 黑料不打烊Law School Poll
The 黑料不打烊Law School Poll is the most extensive statewide polling project in Wisconsin history. This survey was conducted June 13-19, 2025, interviewing 873 Wisconsin registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-4.7 percentage points. To cover more subjects, a number of items where asked of random half-samples of 436 or 437 registered voters with a margin of error of +/-6.6 percentage points. The half-sample items are listed below.
Half-sample items:
The survey was conducted with a hybrid sample of 668 respondents selected from the Wisconsin voter registration list and 205 selected from the SSRS Opinion Panel, a sample drawn from postal addresses across the state and invited to take part in surveys online. The interview was conducted online with 746 respondents and with 127 by telephone with a live interviewer. Full details of the methodology are contained in the methodology statement at the link below.
The partisan makeup of the sample is 36% Republican, 32% Democratic, and 32% independent. When independents who lean to a party are counted as partisans, the sample is 46% Republican, 42% Democratic, and 12% independent. In all polls conducted in 2024, the combined samples were 33% Republican, 31% Democratic, and 36% independent. Counting independents who lean to a party as partisans, the 2024 samples were 45% Republican, 42% Democratic, and 12% independent.
The entire questionnaire, methodology statement, full results and breakdowns by demographic groups are available on the .
Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of Marketing and Communication. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.
