Voters in battleground states that are key to the 2020 election outcome back a Senate vote on the Supreme Court nomination of federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett, dismissing Democratic claims that the process is “illegitimate” and that action should wait.
Three separate polls of voters in six states also showed that the death of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and President Trump’s choice of Catholic Barrett to replace her has boosted the Supreme Court to a top issue in the election.
For example, in Pennsylvania, which has become a top battleground between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, a poll for the pro-Trump group America First Policies found that 66% overall said the court would be important in deciding their vote. Among Republicans, it was 72%; with Democrats, 62%; independents, 68%; and among Catholics, 70%.
Brian Walsh, president of America First Policies, told Secrets, “Republicans, independents, and Catholics alike told us the Supreme Court issue was an important issue in their vote for the president. Republican senators should feel emboldened to move quickly and confirm a qualified, conservative justice who will uphold the rule of law.”
The three polls shared with Secrets covered Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, and Wisconsin. They were done for three conservative groups: America First Policies, Heritage Action for America, and the Judicial Crisis Network.
Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action, told us, “The American people want to move forward with the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. This important polling data will arm senators with the facts they need to confidently vote yes for the president’s nominee without delay.”
An unrelated Rasmussen Reports survey just released found that 79% of likely voters think Barrett will be confirmed, including 54% who called it “very likely.”
Anderson’s group polled likely voters in Colorado, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. It showed that 81% of Republican voters want a vote on Barrett before the election and that even among “swing voters,” 41% want a preelection vote.
The poll also asked the likely voters about Biden and found that 46% would be “less likely to vote” for him if he pledged to put a liberal on the court. And in a backlash for Democrats calling for court packing, 50% said they’d be less likely to back Biden if he proposed adding more judges than the current level of nine.
Anderson said, “While the Left calls to pack the courts with their liberal nominees, the American people reject their cynical ploy. They want this seat filled by President Trump with a judge who respects the Constitution and the rule of law — and that judge is Amy Coney Barrett. Senators should listen to their constituents.”
The poll for the Judicial Crisis Network found voters in North Carolina and Colorado dismissive of Democratic calls to suspend the court nomination until after Inauguration Day. In Colorado, 56%, and in North Carolina 60%, want a vote this year. Among Republicans, it’s 80% or higher.
