As the 2024 election season hit full swing, the Marquette Law School Poll in Wisconsin showed a four-point lead for the Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, over the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump — these and other results are detailed by pollster Charles Franklin. Data presented by the Wisconsin Policy Forum tracks property value increases and concomitant property tax hikes around the state — Jason Stein, the research group’s president, described the implications.
 

Charles Franklin
Director, Marquette Law School Poll

• The Marquette Law School Poll released on Sept. 11 was conducted following the Democratic National Convention but before the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. It showed Harris leading Trump by 52% to 48% among registered voters in Wisconsin. It also shows Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin leading Republican challenger Eric Hovde by the same margin. Franklin said it was his first poll of the 2024 election cycle that included Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, who voters seem to like.
• Franklin: “Of the four presidential and vice presidential, Walz is the only one with a net positive favorability, plus-six more favorable than unfavorable. But he also has the largest ‘don’t know’ – 19% that don’t know enough about him yet. And so, initially, the reaction is strong. We asked the same question of Walz that we asked about JD Vance. ‘Do you think he’s an excellent, good, fair or poor choice among Democrats?’ — 90% think Walz is an excellent or a good choice. Among Republicans, it was 75% that said the same thing about JD Vance the week after that convention. So both parties are quite satisfied with their VP nominees. Democrats a little bit more.”

Jason Stein
President, Wisconsin Policy Forum

• The Wisconsin Policy Forum’s 2024 Property Values and Taxes DataTool showed that property tax levies around the state saw their biggest increase since 2007, among other findings. Stein described what this rise means for December tax bills.
• Stein: “The bills back in December of last year was a significant increase. Now that’s in the gross levy. So there are state tax credits that lower that a little bit, but it’s still a very significant increase that we saw in December 2023. And I think December 2024 bills are shaping up to be a big increase as well, because if you look at the statewide level, there was a large referendum that passed: $250 million in the Milwaukee Public Schools in Milwaukee. And then in Madison, we see two significant school referenda up and in many surrounding Dane County districts. So I think we’re going to see some significant increases in December.”

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