By: Leon Irby
Dated: Sept, 21, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) - SCOTT WALKER, MARY BURKE REMAIN NECK-AND-NECK

Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Mary Burke remain neck and neck in a campaign that has been close for months, according to state polling.

Walker and Burke are tied 46 percent to 46 percent among registered voters, results from a new Marquette Law School Poll show. But Walker now leads 49-46 among likely voters, after trailing two points among the closely watched group three weeks ago in the same poll. Walker had a three-point lead among registered voters last month.

"The main point is: Still inside the margin of error, still no evidence for the fourth poll in a row of a clear frontrunner," poll director Charles Franklin said.

Likely voters represent the three-quarters of responding registered voters who say they are absolutely certain to vote on Nov. 4. Even though the sample size of registered voters in larger, Franklin said Election Day nears, the result from likely voters is a better prediction of the outcome.

The latest poll also found Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ's earlier lead over Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel has vanished between the two polls. Happ led 39-38 among registered voters, but Schimel led 42-41 among likely voters.

The last poll showed Happ with a 10-point lead among likely voters. However, 82 percent said hey hadn't heard enough about Happ to form an opinion and 87 percent didn't know enough about Schimel, while 73 percent said they didn't know enough about Happ.

Happ campaign manager Joshua Lease said in response to the poll that "we have always expected this to be a close race, and like the governor's race, one that will stay close until election day."

Schimel campaign manager Johnny Koremenos said "as he race comes into focus and voters begin to examine the candidates, they are making the same determination that Democratic and Republican law enforcement officers have made."

Franklin noted it was the first pol in 24 Marquette polls since 2012 in which more respondents identified as Republicans than Democrats. Among the registered voters, 20 percent said they were Democrats and 41 percent said they were independent.

Among likely voters, 32 percent identified as Republicans, 28 percent identified as Democrats and 38 percent as independents. In the August poll, when Burke lead among likely voters, 34 percent identified Democrats, 28 percent identified as Republicans and 34 percent identified as independents.

The August poll found 54 percent of respondents saying the state was heading in the right direction, while 42 percent said it was on the wrong track. Those numbers were unchanged in the poll released Wednesday.

Other results among registered voters:

A majority support raising the minimum wage (52.3 percent), requiring a photo ID to vote (61.2 percent), accepting a federal Medicaid expansion (60.8 percent) and keeping marijuana use illegal (51.1 percent).

A plurality (42.1 percent) support paying for transportation with money from other parts of the state budget, while 29.6 percent support raising taxes or fees, 13.2 percent support reducing construction and maintenance and 5.4 percent support continuing to borrow.

The public split on expanding the statewide private-school voucher program, at 38.8 percent want it expanded, 37.5 want it eliminated, and 18.8 want it kept as is.

Of he three-quarters of respondents who have heard about the recent John Doe investigation into whether Gov. Scott Walker's recall campaign illegally coordinated with outside groups, 59.1 percent said it's "just more politics" and 37.4 percent said it's "really something serious."

Asked if Scott Walker or ary Burke is "someone who cares bout people like me," 46.8 percent said that describes Walker, while 48.5 percent said that describes Burke.

Asked if either candidate is "someone who is able to get things done," 64.3 percent said that describes Walker, while 43.8 percent said that describes Burke.

Asked whether Walker or Burke has clearly explained what they'll do if elected, 56.7 percent agreed that Walker had, while 41.8 percent said Burke had.

The latest poll was conducted Sept. 11-14 among 800 registered voters and 589 likely voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among registered voters and plus or minus 4.1 percentage points among likely voters.