A new PPP poll revealed that Republican opposition to the raising the minimum wage is hurting candidates like Mitch McConnell and Scott Walker in Kentucky and Wisconsin.
According to PPP,
New Public Policy Polling surveys in 6 states with highly competitive races either for the Senate or Governor this fall- Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Wisconsin- find strong support for increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, and that Republican candidates could face backlash for their opposition to the raise.
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A majority of voters in every state supports increasing the minimum wage to $10.10, by margins ranging from 14 to 28 points. On average more than 80% of Democrats support the increase, as do at least a plurality of independents and an average of about 30% of Republicans in each state.
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The opposition of Republican candidates to increasing the minimum wage makes voters less likely to support them- and that could make the difference in what are shaping up to be very tight races. Voters in these six states say they’re less likely to vote for the Republican candidate based on their stance on the minimum wage by anywhere from 6 all the way up to 30 points.
In Kentucky, Mitch McConnell is losing eight points of support by refusing to support a minimum wage increase. In Wisconsin, voters are nineteen percent less likely to vote for Scott Walker because he opposes raising the minimum wage.
Republicans in close elections all around the country try to avoid the minimum wage questions. One of the areas where Democrats have had a great deal of success in 2014 is getting the minimum wage issue injected into campaigns.
McConnell’s opposition to the raising the minimum wage has become a major economic discussion in Kentucky. Republicans know that their position is unpopular and toxic, but they have to do the bidding of their wealthy donors who have nothing but contempt for the existence of a minimum wage.
Raising the minimum wage remains wildly popular with Democratic, Independent, and even some Republican voters. It’s the kind of issues that causes voters to show up on Election Day. Democrats have expertly used this powerful economic argument. If Republican incumbents like Mitch McConnell and Scott Walker lose, their opposition to raising the minimum wage will be a big reason behind their defeat.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
