A new poll released by the Center of the American Experiment shows Democrat Tim Walz with an eight-point lead in Minnesota’s gubernatorial race, though a plurality of respondents want to see the state move in a “more conservative” direction.
According to the poll, 43 percent of likely voters plan to support Walz in the November election, while 35 percent plan to back Republican Jeff Johnson, and 18 percent are still undecided.
However, just 39 percent want to “continue” the polices of Gov. Mark Dayton, compared to 51 percent who want to take the state in a “different direction.” Additionally, 39 percent want “more conservative” policies in the state, with just 14 percent supporting “more liberal” policies.
Like many other Minnesota polls, health care and education were ranked as the “top priorities” for the next governor, followed by taxes and the economy, which respondents expressed some concern about. The Center of the American Experiment found that 36 percent of likely voters think Minnesota’s state government “spends too much” money, while 10 percent believe that the government is not spending enough.
On the issue of spending, an overwhelming 77 percent of Minnesotans want their tax dollars to go towards improving roads in the state rather than building new Light Rail lines and additional bike lanes.
As The Minnesota Sun previously reported, the Twin Cities Met Council plans to invest $2.2 billion in a Light Rail extension and has little interest in improving traffic congestion. Minnesota is currently home to five of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the country, and ranks at 22 among the most congested urban areas.
Additionally, the poll shows that 65 percent of Minnesotans want to lower income taxes across all brackets, compared to just 31 percent who oppose the proposition.
The Center of the American Experiment also polled Minnesotans on whether they would like to establish a “single payer health care system,” a platform supported by Walz, or “increase competition in the health insurance market,” which is supported by Johnson. 42 percent support Walz’s position, and 51 percent agree with Johnson’s platform.
Touching on immigration, 37 percent of respondents “strongly oppose” abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, with just 16 percent supporting the idea. 60 percent of Minnesotans also oppose Walz’s platform of becoming a “sanctuary state.”
The poll surveyed 500 likely Minnesota voters and was conducted between Aug. 30 and Sept. 4.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
