Recently released polling conducted in battleground states again found support for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
The new polls, conducted by North Star Opinion Research in Alabama, Indiana, North Dakota, and West Virginia in the days after Kavanaugh was nominated, show large pluralities wanting the judge confirmed. The four states were selected because Trump won each, and each have a Democratic senator who voted for Trump’s previous pick, Justice Neil Gorsuch (except for Sen. Doug Jones, who wasn’t in the senate yet).
Registered voters in Alabama want Kavanaugh confirmed by 54% to 30%. Voters in Indiana (52% to 34%) and West Virginia (55% to 30%) gave similar responses. Eligible voters in North Dakota, where Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp faces a tough re-election, were the most supportive of Kavanaugh, with 60% saying they want to see the judge confirmed, compared to just 22% who did not.
Breaking the numbers down further, Independents in each of the four states also want Kavanaugh confirmed. North Dakota Independents were again the most supportive, by a margin of 60% to 18%. In Alabama, Independents favored Kavanaugh’s confirmation by 54% to 30%; in Indiana, 48% to 34%; and in West Virginia, 59% to 23%.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) voted for Gorsuch last year, and appears to be poised to win re-election in November. Heitkamp and Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) are not in as good shape.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says he hopes to have Kavanaugh confirmed by October 1.