A new poll in the race for Michigan governor shows Democratic frontrunner and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson leading potential Republican challengers and former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running as an independent.
The poll, published Tuesday, May 12, shows Benson receiving support from 34.2% of respondents in a three-way hypothetical race with U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, at 29.2%, and Duggan, at 23%.
Replace James with businessman and fellow Republican candidate Perry Johnson, and Benson still leads at 34%, followed by Johnson at 26% and Duggan at 23.3%.
The poll was conducted by the Lansing-based Glengariff Group on behalf of the Detroit Regional Chamber. The survey was conducted from April 28-May 1 by live operators and had a sample size of 600 likely voters in the November general election, with 87.3% of responses captured via cell phones. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
It’s worth noting the Detroit Regional Chamber has endorsed Duggan, a former three-term mayor of Detroit who left the Democratic Party in 2024 to launch a bid as an independent.
But the survey results may actually show warning signs for the Duggan campaign — he’s lost ground since the chamber’s previous poll in February, when he had a slight lead in a hypothetical race over James and Benson. He’s seven percentage points worse off in the May survey compared to the February edition.
Pollster Richard Czuba, founder of the Glengariff Group, noted in the survey results that Benson’s support has improved considerably among women and likely Democratic voters. In the February results, Benson received support from 36.7% respondents who identified as leaning Democratic. Fast forward to May, and Benson is receiving support from 63.8% of that group.
Duggan’s support in the most recent poll among leaning Democratic and independent voters has eroded compared to the February results: In February, he was backed by 49% of leaning Democratic responses and 48.2% of independents. In the May survey, he got support from 17% of leaning Democrats and 38.5% of independents.
But during a media call Tuesday, the former mayor noted his support was improving among Republican and leaning Republican voters, something he said signals a broadening coalition of support for his campaign. He also said the political climate nationally favors Democrats, pointing to higher gas prices fueled by the U.S. war in Iran and low approval ratings for President Donald Trump, a Republican.
“There’s no doubt you can feel the tailwinds for Democrats, nationally,” Duggan said. “When I saw Chedrick Greene come in at 60%, I thought ‘Wow, this next poll is going to be ugly.’ When I saw Benson was only at 34%, I was pretty relieved.” Greene won a May 5 special election for an open state Senate seat, defeating Republican Jason Tunney 58.9% to 39.4%, unofficial results show.
Duggan’s support improved among leaning Republican voters in the May survey by about five percentage points from the February edition, going from 29.2% to 34.3%.
Benson is considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination during the statewide primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 4, based on name recognition and fundraising totals. Also running for the party’s nomination are Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and Battle Creek entrepreneur Kim Thomas.
On the Republican side, James and Johnson are considered leading candidates, although others are in the field, including former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox; Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton and Farmington Hills pastor Ralph Rebandt.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited and cannot seek reelection.
The survey was commissioned ahead of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference, when business and government leaders will meet to discuss issues on Mackinac Island at the end of the month.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New poll shows Jocelyn Benson leading Michigan governor race
Reporting by Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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