Before debate, Walz is viewed more favorably than Vance in Midwest, polls find

In the contest between Minnesota dad energy and “Hillbilly Elegy” energy, Midwestern voters appear to have a clear preference.

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, is viewed more favorably than his Republican counterpart, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, in three Midwestern states, according to polls from The New York Times and Siena College.

The polls, taken as the two men were preparing to face off in a debate Tuesday, found that Walz was viewed favorably by 44% of likely voters in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin and unfavorably by 41%. Vance was viewed favorably by 42% of likely voters in those states and unfavorably by 48%, the polls found. Both men were chosen in part to appeal to voters in the Midwest.

Voters were more likely to say that Walz was honest, trustworthy and caring than they were to say the same about Vance.

About half of voters said that Walz was “honest and trustworthy” and that he “cares about people like me,” and about a third of voters said those terms did not describe him well. Voters were both less likely to say those descriptors applied to Vance and much more likely to say those qualities did not describe him well.

Walz was the only candidate on either major presidential ticket with more supporters than detractors across the three states.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, was viewed favorably by 48% of likely voters in those states and unfavorably by 50%. And former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, was viewed favorably by 47% and unfavorably by 52%.

Vance’s numbers were best in his home state of Ohio, but even there, he had more detractors than supporters, the poll found.

The poll found that 45% of likely Ohio voters had a favorable view of Vance, while 47% had an unfavorable one. (In recent weeks, Vance has spread false rumors that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating household pets, drawing rebukes from city officials and from Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine.) Ohio was the only state where Walz had more detractors than supporters: He was viewed favorably by 41% and unfavorably by 42%.

Part of the difference in favorability may be accounted for by the fact that more voters have an opinion of Vance — the author of a memoir that was turned into a film — than they do of Walz. Overall, 16% of likely voters in the three states said that they either had not heard of Walz or did not know what their opinion of him was; only 10% said the same about Vance.

The favorability divide between the two vice presidential candidates is in line with what other recent polls have found. An average of national polls by the site FiveThirtyEight found that as of Sept. 26, Walz was viewed favorably by roughly 40% of voters and unfavorably by 36%, while Vance was viewed favorably by 35% and unfavorably by 46%.

That divide provides opportunities — and challenges — for both men as they prepare to square off next week in New York for their first and only debate, which will be sponsored by CBS News. It should give more Americans a chance to get acquainted with the candidates and form opinions of them, for better or worse.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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