Poll finds Minnesota men, women divided on issues

Published 8:21 pm Saturday, September 20, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS  — A new poll determined men and women in Minnesota hold different opinions on just about everything.

The new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll shows men and women have different beliefs regarding politics, health care, the economy and race relations. Gender was an important factor in how the Minnesota residents answered the pollsters’ questions, second to political party affiliation.

Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc. conducted the Minnesota Poll, interviewing 800 likely voters over the phone throughout a recent three-day period. Of the people interviewed, 52 percent were women and 48 percent were men. The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

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The new poll found women are more likely to vote for Democratic U.S. Sen. Al Franken, while men prefer Republican challenger Mike McFadden. Nearly 60 percent of women chose Franken, compared to 37 percent of men.

Women in Minnesota are also more supportive of President Barack Obama. Almost two-thirds of the men polled said they disapprove of the job Obama has done, while only 42 percent of women disapprove.

A gender split was also evident on the Affordable Care Act, with a majority of Minnesota women believing the massive health care program is a success, and 57 percent of men believing it was a failure.