Donald Trump
leads over President Joe Biden among
older voters by 7 percentage points
MADISON,
Wis., July 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
Today, AARP Wisconsin released a 2024 statewide election survey,
showing candidates for president, U.S. Senate, and state races
should pay close attention to Wisconsinites ages 50 and older.
Eighty-five percent of voters ages 50 and older say they are
"extremely motivated" to vote in this election, compared to just
64% of voters ages 18-49.
Former President Donald Trump (R)
leads President Joe Biden (D) among
voters ages 18 and older, 44% - 38%, with Robert Kennedy Jr. polling at 9%. Trump also
leads among voters ages 50 and older, 48% - 41%; the candidates are
tied at 45% among voters ages 65 and older, while Trump leads by
15-points among those ages 50-64. Biden is ahead by 8-points among
women overall and by 6-points among women ages 50 and older, while
men of all ages favor Trump by 22-points.
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) holds
the lead over Eric Hovde (R), 50% -
45%, in the U.S. Senate race among voters overall. Among voters 50
and older, Hovde has a narrow advantage over Sen. Baldwin, 50% -
47%. The cohort of 50-64-year-olds favor Hovde by 7-points, while
Baldwin has a 2-point lead among those ages 65 and older. Women
strongly favor Baldwin, with leads of 18-points among women overall
and 12-points among women 50 and older.
Any candidate that hopes to woo older voters ought to pay
attention to the issues that matter most to this group.
Eighty-three percent of voters ages 50 and older report that
candidates' positions on Social Security are very important in
deciding whom to vote for in November, followed by Medicare (72%),
helping people stay in their homes as they age (63%), and the cost
of prescription drugs (62%). And the vast majority (84%) of older
Wisconsin voters prefer a member
of Congress who wants Medicare to continue negotiations for lower
drug prices.
Wisconsin residents ages 50 and
older make up an outsized portion of the electorate: in the 2020
elections, older voters accounted for 55% of all Wisconsin voters and in the 2022 mid-terms,
they made up 61% of the state's voters.
"Wisconsin voters over age 50
are the biggest voting bloc and could tip the scale for any
candidate in this election," said Martha
Cranley, State Director, AARP Wisconsin. "If candidates want
to win, they should pay attention to the issues that matter to
voters over age 50, from protecting Social Security to supporting
family caregivers."
Other key takeaways from the poll voters among older voters
include:
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) say Social Security is or will be a
major source of their income.
- Immigration and border security (37%) is the most important
issue when deciding who to vote for in November, followed by
inflation and rising prices (29%), and threats to democracy (21%).
- 58 percent of these voters cite personal economic issues –
inflation and rising prices, the economy and jobs, and Social
Security – as most important. Notably, both Trump are Hovde are
leading among older voters who prioritize these issues.
- Fifty-six percent of older voters say they are worried about
their personal financial situation, compared to 65% of voters ages
18-49.
- Twenty-four percent of voters over 50 identify as family
caregivers, with 27% of older women and 29% of GOP voters over 50
saying the same. Family caregivers make up 21% of Wisconsin voters overall.
- Swing voters over 50 make up 19% of older voters overall,
and they are more likely to be Independents and moderates.
AARP commissioned the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward (R) & Impact Research (D) to
conduct a survey of voters in Wisconsin. The firms interviewed 1,052 likely
voters, which includes a statewide representative sample of 600
likely voters, an oversample of 452 likely voters ages 50 and
older. The survey was done between June
28-July 2, 2024. The interviews were conducted via live
interviewer on landline (20%) and cellphone (35%), as well as
SMS-to-web (46%). The sample was randomly drawn from the
Wisconsin voter list. The margin
of sampling error at the 95% confidence level for the 600 statewide
sample is ±4.0%; for the 800 total sample of voters 50+ is
±3.5%.
View the full survey results at aarp.org/WIpolling.
For more information on how, when, and where to vote in
Wisconsin, visit
aarp.org/WIvotes.
About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization
dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they
live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens
communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than
100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security,
financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for
individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and
allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to
carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information,
AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP
The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more,
visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/,
https://www.aarp.org/espanol/ or follow @AARP,
@AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.
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SOURCE AARP