What They Are Saying: Ron Johnson Closes the Gap in Senate Race Home Stretch

With Less Than A Month To Go, Wisconsin Senate Race Is Tighter Than Ever

Ron Johnson has closed the gap in the U.S. Senate race in recent days, with an internal campaign memo and a string of three public polls – CBS News, Marquette University, and Loras College – showing him in the lead or within the margin of error after more than a year of being considered an underdog. With 26 days remaining, state and national media outlets are taking note of the shake-up in the Wisconsin U.S. Senate race.

The Hill: “A new poll finds Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) up 5 points in his race against former Sen. Russ Feingold (D). … The Loras College survey is a sharp break from months of polls that have had Feingold on track to retake the Senate seat he lost in 2010, a GOP wave election.”

Wisconsin Radio Network: “The race between Feingold and Johnson has continued to tighten in recent weeks, with a memo from Johnson’s campaign saying internal polls show the incumbent with a slight edge and independents leaning towards supporting him.”

Washington Examiner: “Sen. Ron Johnson trails former Sen. Russ Feingold by only 2 points, according to a new poll released Wednesday, as the Wisconsin Republican continues to narrow the former senator’s lead in the race.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “The poll results add even more drama as the race enters its critical period, with Feingold and Johnson meeting in debates Fridayin Green Bay and Tuesday in Milwaukee. With control for the U.S. Senate up for grabs, the poll results could also move more outside groups to launch ads in the state amid a shrinking map of competitive races nationally.”

Politico: “The Club for Growth Action Fund is spending $750,000 on a television and digital buy in the Wisconsin Senate race, bashing former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold as a career politician.”

The Capital Times: “Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson’s bid to hang onto his seat looked brighter, with Democratic challenger Russ Feingold’s lead narrowing to two percentage points from five points last month.”

Wisconsin State Journal: “Johnson’s campaign issued an internal memo touting Johnson’s $4 million fundraising haul in the third quarter and more than 2 million voter contacts. Feingold has yet to release his third-quarter fundraising figures. ‘As we’ve consistently said, this is going to be a tight race with a real choice for Wisconsinites – between an Oshkosh manufacturer getting things done and a 34-year career politician saying one thing and doing another,’ Johnson spokesman Brian Reisinger said.”