As both Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) have been thrust into the national spotlight over the last few weeks, voters have warmed up to the Democratic vice presidential candidate more so than his Republican counterpart, according to recent polling.
Roughly 36% of voters say they have a favorable view of Walz compared to 27% who said the same of Vance, according to a recent survey by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That gap only widens when the opposite is considered, with 44% of voters saying they view Vance unfavorably compared to 25% for Walz.
Both candidates are well-liked within their own parties, with independent voters leaning more toward Walz, according to the poll. However, the survey indicates that most voters are not yet familiar enough with either candidate to have a solid opinion.
About 4 in 10 voters say they do not know enough about Walz, slightly higher than the 3 in 10 who say the same about Vance.
The poll indicates Walz had a relatively smoother rollout as his party’s vice presidential candidate. The Minnesota governor has also not yet formally introduced himself to the national stage. He will get that chance Wednesday when he delivers the keynote speech on the third night of the Democratic National Convention.
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However, both candidates have received scrutiny from the opposing parties since being tapped as the vice presidential nominee. Vance has been hit over comments he made before former President Donald Trump chose him, particularly about women who do not have children, while Walz has been criticized for apparent inaccuracies about his military record.
The poll surveyed 1,164 voters between Aug. 8-12 using a sample from NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel, a probability-based system designed to be representative of the country’s population. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
