Fiscal Policies & Job Creation are Top Issues for Wisconsin Swing Voters, According to Resonate

Republican Voters Also Galvanized on Fiscal Issues, Democratic Voters Focus on Healthcare

September 18, 2014 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

RESTON, Va. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Resonate, the only company that empowers political campaigns and issue advocacy organizations to act on why people make decisions, today released new insights on the voting patterns and key issues for Wisconsin voters this election season. Government spending is the top issue for Swing voters, with 47 percent citing it as a key issue when evaluating a candidate’s platform. Job creation and balanced budget policies are tied for second with 46 percent agreeing it is a top issue. Swing voters – those who cast votes across party lines – make up 24 percent of Wisconsin’s voters. Republican voters are 31 percent of the state’s registered voters, while 37 percent vote Democrat, and 8 percent other.

“Wisconsin Republican voters clearly have fiscal policies on the mind, as do swing voters. This suggests that conservative candidates have an initial advantage connecting with the crucial swing voters”

The majority of Wisconsin’s Republican voters look to a candidate’s platform on government spending, with 68 percent classifying it as key to their voting decision. They also consider a candidate’s stance on balanced budget (61 percent) and tax policy (45 percent) policies. On the other side of the aisle, 60 percent of Democratic voters evaluate healthcare positions, 49 percent education, and 47 percent job creation.

“Wisconsin Republican voters clearly have fiscal policies on the mind, as do swing voters. This suggests that conservative candidates have an initial advantage connecting with the crucial swing voters,” said Bryan Gernert, Resonate CEO. “Democratic candidates will need to step up to include these issues in their own platforms to try to win them over to their side. But yet again, we see the importance of understanding issue positions at a local level as well. More swing voters within Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District care about a candidate’s position on healthcare than balanced budget.”

Resonate found that WI-8 has a lower concentration of Democratic voters (30 percent) than the state average. Republican voting patterns increase to 34 percent and swing voters make up 27 percent. Top issues for Democratic voters are the same, but tax policy is less important than job creation for Republican voters. In fact, a candidate’s position on job creation is key for all voters in WI-8. It ranks highly for 53 percent of Democratic voters, 40 percent Republican, and 47 percent of swing voters.

To learn more about the views and voting patterns of Wisconsin voters, please visit: blog.resonateinsights.com/wisconsin-voters

About Resonate:

Resonate is the only company to empower brand, political and cause marketers to identify and engage with audiences based on the reasons behind people’s actions. Combining the latest big data technologies with proven research and analytic techniques, Resonate powers motivation-based analytics and targeting across all digital media channels. The ability to deliver advertising based on an individual’s social and personal values and product purchase preferences, goes beyond simple demographics to achieve greater engagement, campaign results and customer insight. For more information visit https://www.resonateinsights.com.