Walz outperforms Vance in new favorability poll

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), the Democratic nominee for vice president, is seen more favorably than his Republican counterpart, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, according to a poll released Thursday .

The Suffolk University/USA Today survey found 48 percent of likely voters say they see Walz in a positive light. In contrast, 37 percent of the same group said they see Vance in a positive light.

The voters in the poll also said they see Vance more unfavorably than Walz. Nearly half, 49 percent, said they see Vance in a negative light, while 36 percent said they see Walz in a negative light.

The two Midwestern vice presidential picks are set to debate next month on CBS, only about a month before the election.

Both Vance and Walz assumed their roles as their respective parties’ vice presidential nominees amid political whirlwinds this summer that also included President Biden stepping out of the 2024 race, former President Trump facing an assassination attempt and Vice President Harris’s ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket.

Walz has been a leader in labeling Trump and Vance as “weird,” an attack that quickly caught on with his fellow Democrats. Both Trump and Vance have pushed back against the label.

“I think it’s especially weird when Kamala Harris comes to Atlanta, I believe came here to this … arena,” Vance said early last month. “Kamala Harris comes to Atlanta and talks with a fake Southern accent, even though she grew up in Canada. You can’t make it up; that’s pretty weird.”

The Suffolk University/USA Today poll of 1,000 likely voters took place Aug. 25-28. Its margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.