Washington.- Tim Walz and JD Vance have emerged from national obscurity and are rushing to introduce themselves to the country, but the Ohio senator has had a rockier start than the Minnesota governor.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows Walz getting off to a smoother start as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate than Vance did for former President Donald Trump. About a third of American adults (36%) have a favorable view of Walz, who will introduce his party when he speaks at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday. About a quarter (27%) have a positive view of Vance. Significantly more adults also have an unfavorable view of Vance than Walz — 44% to 25%.
Both are so far liked within their own parties, while independents are slightly more likely to have a positive opinion of Walz than Vance, but most still don’t know enough about either.
Both vice presidential candidates still need to work to better publicize themselves — about 4 in 10 Americans don’t know enough about Walz to have an opinion of him, and about 3 in 10 don’t know enough about Vance. Still, both are far better known than they were before they were selected as vice presidential candidates.
Democrats like Walz, but many key groups don’t know enough
As Walz prepares to speak at the convention, about 6 in 10 Democrats said they have a favorable opinion of him, including about 4 in 10 who have a “very favorable” opinion. About 3 in 10 don’t know him well enough to have an opinion. This is the first measure of Walz’s favorability in an AP/NORC Center poll, but other surveys showed he was virtually unknown nationally before he was elected.
Many key Democratic coalitions still don’t know much about Walz. About 4 in 10 women don’t know enough to have an opinion of him, and about 4 in 10 young adults under 45 said the same. About half of black adults and about 4 in 10 Hispanic adults also don’t know enough to say whether they like him. Many low-income adults and those without college degrees also don’t have an opinion of Walz.
Data from AP VoteCast, a national survey of the electorate, show that when she ran for governor in 2022, Walz won support from women, young voters, union households, suburbanites and people in urban areas. She split support among white voters and men — two groups where the Harris-Walz team will try to chip away at Trump’s lead. She lost the state’s rural voters as well as households with military veterans.
Samantha Phillis, a 33-year-old home health nurse and mother of four from Mankato, Minnesota, has known Walz for years. She attended Mankato West High School when Walz was a teacher there, and was part of the Gay-Straight Alliance when he was the faculty adviser. Since he became governor, she said, his policies have been “tremendous” for three of her children with disabilities. As a mother, she appreciated his program to provide free school meals for children.
“He was a great asset to Mankato West, and we’re big fans of him. As far as Minnesota goes, he’s done great things for my family,” Phillis said. “I’m really encouraged to see what he could help Kamala Harris do as her vice president.”
Phillis added that she always planned to vote for the Democratic candidate, but has been excited by the energy and drive Walz has brought to the campaign.
“Now that Governor Walz is on the ballot, I am all for it.”
Vance’s favorability has increased among Republicans
The new AP/NORC Center poll shows that in the weeks since Vance was selected as Trump’s running mate, Republicans have gotten to know him better and have developed a generally positive view.
About 6 in 10 Republicans now have a very or somewhat favorable view of Vance, a marked increase from a mid-July poll conducted before the Ohio senator was announced as Trump’s running mate. In that poll, only about 3 in 10 had a favorable view of him, and roughly 6 in 10 Republicans responded that they didn’t know enough about Vance to have an opinion.
In the most recent poll, about 2 in 10 Republicans have an unfavorable view of Vance, and about a quarter say they don’t know enough about him to have an opinion.
Adults 45 and older are slightly more likely than younger people to have a positive view of Vance — 32% versus 22%.
AP VoteCast data shows that when Vance ran for Senate in Ohio in 2022, he won support from many groups that have become a cornerstone of Trump’s political base. About 6 in 10 male voters in the state supported Vance, as did voters 45 and older. He also outperformed young men compared with Republicans nationally. About 6 in 10 male voters under 30 voted for Vance in Ohio, compared with about half of Republican candidates nationally.
Mary Lynch, a 62-year-old Republican from Marquette, Michigan, said she has followed Vance through television interviews since before he ran for the Senate. She said her positive opinion of him has grown the more she has gotten to know him. She appreciates his support for family-related policies, such as anti-abortion measures and school choice.
Lynch supported Republican Nikki Haley during the GOP primary, but plans to vote for Trump in November. She likes Trump’s policies, but has issues with his personality. She sees Vance as a strong future leader for the Republican Party.
“I really like (Vance’s) personality. He says things in a more polite way. He doesn’t use hyperbole,” Lynch said. “If Trump wins with JD Vance, I hope JD Vance is the next candidate for president.”
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