DETROIT – Democratic presidential candidates hold a lead over President Trump in Michigan heading into the 2020 election, according to a new WDIV/Detroit News poll.
The newly released poll shows where Michigan voters stand on various issues, including Impeachment and voter motivation, as well as potential election matchups heading into the 2020 election cycle.
The poll also looked at job approval for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and President Trump.
Key findings:
Motivation to vote continues at historic levels in Michigan at 9.5 (on a scale of 10). That motivation exists across all demographic groups.
Job approval:
- Governor Whitmer’s job approval has dipped slightly from June 2019 following auto insurance reform but still holds at 43.3 percent approve to 35.9 percent disapprove.
- President Trump’s job approval has seen a minor increase within the survey’s margin of error from previous surveys. But his re-elect number continues at just 35.5 percent re-elect and 51.5 percent voting for someone new.
2020 Presidential election:
Voters were asked if they would vote to re-elect President Trump or vote for someone else. 51.5 percent of voters would vote to elect someone new with 46.3 percent definitely voting for someone new. 35.5 percent of voters would vote to re-elect President Trump with 29.0 percent definitely voting to re-elect the President.
Among Independent voters, 27.3 percent would vote to re-elect the President while 46.2 percent would elect someone new.
- Joe Biden continues to hold a 7- point lead on Donald Trump in Michigan. The second strongest contender is Mike Bloomberg who holds a 6-point lead. Bernie Sanders holds a lead of 4.2 percent just outside the margin of error. But Pete Buttgieg and Elizabeth Warren are in a dead heat against Donald Trump in Michigan.
- There continues to be a massive gender gap in Michigan with Biden holding a 22 percent lead among women while Trump holds a 9 percent lead among men.
- Among Independent voters, Biden holds a 6-point lead on Trump. But Trump holds a 6-point lead among independents against Warren.
Impeachment:
Voters attitudes on impeachment have experienced a minor shift on impeachment since June 2020 but they are still opposed to impeachment by a margin of 49.7 percent-38.5 percent. But voter attitudes on the Ukraine issue appear far more nuanced than just their attitudes on impeachment.
Michigan voters believe President Trump’s actions in the Ukraine were wrong and inappropriate by a 16-point margin. By a narrow 2.7 percent margin, voter believe his action were illegal. And by a wider 11-point margin voters believe his actions were not in the best interest in the United States.
Michigan U.S. Senate race:
Michigan’s US Senate race appears to be a dead heat with incumbent Senator Gary Peters leading Republican John James by a narrow 3.8 percent within the survey’s margin of error. Both candidates have room to grow in terms of statewide name identification with Peters at 70 percent and James at 59 percent name identification.
Poll methodology:
The Glengariff Group, Inc. conducted a Michigan statewide survey of November 2020 likely general election voters. The 600 sample, live operator telephone survey was conducted on January 3-7, 2020 and has a margin of error of +/-4.0 percent with a 95 percent level of confidence. 50.0 percent of respondents were contacted via landline telephone. 50.0 percent of respondents were contacted via cell phone telephone. This survey was commissioned by the Glengariff Group, Inc. as part of our public polling program and provided to WDIV Local 4 and the Detroit News.
View the full polling information below:
Support or oppose Trump impeachment? -- Local 4/The Detroit News Poll from Jan. 8, 2020.