Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is fading quickly down the stretch as the 2022 midterm election enters the last leg, with a new poll showing him significantly behind in his race to remain in the U.S. Senate.
Johnson, who has been an ardent acolyte and apologist for disgraced, one-term, twice-impeached former president Donald Trump is now down by 7 points to Democratic nominee Mandela Barnes, who would become the youngest member of the Senate at 35 if he defeats the incumbent. He would also be the first black senator to ever represent Wisconsin.
The poll, from Marquette Law School, shows Barnes with a commanding 51-44% lead over Johnson, and the fact that Barnes is above 50% this late in the race is bad news for Johnson, who has a high unfavorable rating among those polled.
Johnson recently shot himself in the foot with remarks he made suggesting that Social Security and Medicare should be discretionary spending, meaning that Congress could refuse to fund the programs anytime they choose to. A discretionary item in the federal budget is also subject to review annually, which would jeopardize the long-term stability of both programs that benefit senior citizens.
Additionally, Johnson promised voters he wouldn’t serve more than two terms in the Senate, but is now seeking a third term, which has reportedly rankled many in the Badger State.
A win for Mandela Barnes would be a huge gain for Democrats and another step toward getting a filibuster-proof majority that would allow the Senate to get more done, including passing voting rights and abortion rights legislation which is being held hostage by Republicans.
Democrats are also doing well in other states that currently have GOP senators, including Ohio and Pennsylvania, where Trump-endorsed candidates J.D. Vance and Mehmet Oz are struggling to gain traction with voters.
