KSTP/SurveyUSA poll: Gov. Walz tops list of VP candidates, but many other contenders
Our latest KSTP/SurveyUSA poll asks Minnesota voters who they think presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris should choose as her running mate.
The results include good news and bad news for Gov. Tim Walz. He leads among 10 possible contenders with 22% support, followed closely by Sen. Amy Klobuchar at 16%. But that means 78% prefer someone else or are not sure about Walz as the pick.
RELATED: Walz among leading Democrats to emerge as a possible running mate for Kamala Harris
“This survey shows that Tim Walz is the favorite son of respondents to this survey,” says Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier. “Tim Walz has been over 50% throughout this year in his job approval rating. It’s currently 56%, which in these turbulent times is a very healthy rating for an incumbent governor.”
Minnesotans also give high marks to a few other high-profile Democrats outside Minnesota in the so-called “veepstakes.” Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg all check in at 10% support.
As for the choice of Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, 33% view the choice as excellent or good, 15% say it’s a “fair” choice and 32% say he’s a poor choice. Among the major parties, 68% of Republicans say he’s an excellent or good choice and 67% of Democrats say he’s a fair or poor choice.
RELATED: Trump and Vance team up to campaign in Minnesota, a state that hasn’t backed the GOP in 52 years
Schier says he doesn’t think any of those numbers will mean much to the Trump campaign in Minnesota.
“The one thing that we do know is that Trump and Vance will be here and they would not be here if they didn’t think Minnesota was in play,” Schier said the day before the Trump/Vance rally in St. Cloud.
As for the process Democrats are using to nominate Vice President Harris to replace President Joe Biden, 79% support the way it’s being done, but only 41% of Republicans.
View the full survey results below: