Walz above water but relatively unknown in Pennsylvania: Poll

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is seen more in a positive light than a negative one when it comes to likely Pennsylvania voters but is still relatively unknown for the Keystone State voters, according to a new poll.

The Quinnipiac University poll, conducted Aug. 8-12, found that 36 percent of likely voters from Pennsylvania said they see the Democratic vice presidential candidate in a “favorable” light. In the same poll, 29 percent of the Pennsylvanian voters said they see Walz in an “unfavorable” light, and 35 percent said they “haven’t heard enough about” the Minnesota governor.

Harris announced Walz as her running mate last week after much anticipation about her vice presidential pick. Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro (D), was seen as a top contender for the Democratic vice presidential slot, and some saw him as adding a possible advantage for Harris’s chances in the Keystone State. Harris ultimately went with the governor from the North Star State. 

According to the poll, about half of likely Pennsylvania voters said they do not like Republican vice presidential candidate, Sen. JD Vance (Ohio). Forty-five percent of the voters said they see Vance in an “unfavorable” light, while 35 percent said they see him in a “favorable” light, and 19 percent said they “haven’t heard enough about” the Ohio senator.

In an average of Pennsylvania polls from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Harris is barely leading former President Trump, only up by 0.6 points. Recent polling from The New York Times/Siena College found Harris up by 4 points in Pennsylvania.

The Quinnipiac poll featured 1,738 people who labeled themselves as likely voters, and its margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.