DETROIT – Michigan voters are split as to whether the state is headed in the right direction, says a new Local 4/Detroit News poll.
According to the poll, 45.3% of voters say Michigan is on the right track while 40.8% believe the state is going the wrong way. Republicans were more likely to believe the state is on the right track than Democrats, while independents were split with 40% saying "right track" and 43% saying "wrong track."
That split decision could mean close races in Michigan's gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races this fall.
According to the Local 4/Detroit News poll, 45% of voters surveyed support Gov. Rick Snyder's re-election bid while 35.2% say they'll likely back expected Democratic nominee Mark Schauer. Eighteen percent of voters are currently undecided.
By a 42.5%-39.2% margin, Michigan voters have a favorable opinion of the governor.
A majority of voters have currently not heard of or had no opinion of Shauer, 12.3% had a favorable opinion and 17.2% had an unfavorable opinion of the likely Democratic nominee for governor.
In the race for retiring U.S. Sen. Carl Levin's seat, likely Democratic nominee Gary Peters leads likely Republican nominee Terri Lynn Land by a 39.6%-35.3% margin with 23.2% undecided.
Opinions of Peters were equally split, with 18.3% having a favorable view, 18.8% had an unfavorable view, and more than 60% of voters having no opinion or never heard of Peters. For Land, 25% have a favorable view of her while 28% have an unfavorable view, and 45.1% have no opinion or never heard of Land.
When asked what they considered the biggest problem facing Michigan, 35.8% of voters said jobs, the economy, and unemployment. Transportation and roads was the second most popular answer with 16.2%.
You can read the full polling report here. Tune into Local 4 and check back with Click On Detroit Wednesday for a breakdown on how Michigan voters want state leaders to tackle road maintenance and education.
Special section: 2014 Mackinac Policy Conference