Burke Says She Will Spend Rest Of Campaign On Tour Around State

In the wake of a poll showing Gov. Scott Walker and Democrat Mary Burke in a dead heat in the race for governor, Burke says she now plans to spend the rest of the campaign traveling around the state.

The latest Marquette University poll, released on Wednesday, has Burke and Walker tied at 47 percent each among likely voters, marking a 5-point decline for Walker from the previous poll.

With the race tightening and Election Day fast-approaching, Mary Burke said her campaign strategy is to hit the road.

“I’ve been in Wausau this week, and I’ll continue to travel around the state,” said Burke. “Every major area of the state is important.”

According to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political science professor Mordecai Lee, Burke’s decision to travel outside of her strongholds of Madison and Milwaukee isn’t about trying to convince undecided voters. He said she’s trying to get Democrats — who are more likely to stay home for midterm elections — to the polls.

“The way she wins the election is by expanding voter turnout. In other words, by bringing in voters who might be registered, but are less likely to vote,” said Lee.

Lee said that the number of undecided voters in this election — about 4 percent, according the Marquette poll — is remarkably small. He said that in the days of Gov. Tommy Thompson, about one-third of Wisconsin residents were swing voters.

“Now we’re living in kind of a new normal, where just about everybody has made up their minds,” said Lee. “And so, therefore, the whole orientation of campaigns, whether we’re talking about Scott Walker or Mary Burke, is to focus on turning out their supporters as opposed to persuading the undecideds.”

Burke said that the Marquette poll was “good news,” but that the only “poll” that really matters is Election Day.