According to a recent survey, the Michigan governor’s race has become a “barnburner.”
According to the most recent Mitchell/MIRS survey, Republican challenger Tudor Dixon has made up significant distance in a race that first-term Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) appeared to be running away with.
The governor led 49% – 47% in a poll of 541 probable general election voters earlier this week, within a 4.2% margin of error, with 3% still undecided.
According to the survey, Whitmer, who has made a pro-abortion platform the centerpiece of her campaign after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this year, leads her Republican opponent among Michigan women by 14 points, while Dixon leads Whitmer among males by 11 points.
According to the survey results, both candidates have reinforced their support from their respective bases, with the governor receiving 92% support from Democrats and Dixon receiving 89% support from Republicans in the state.
Whitmer has a four-point lead among independent voters (49% – 45%).
Dixon’s major polling surge comes after the candidates sparred in their first debate last week.
Throughout the heated, the Republican candidate continually criticized Whitmer’s record on the struggling economy, rising crime crime, and unpopular COVID lockdowns, while the governor sought to portray Dixon as too extreme for Michigan, particularly on abortion and gun rights issues.
Michigan is just another state that has seen major statewide races shift significantly in favor of conservatives in recent weeks.
Traditionally deep blue states like New York and Oregon have likewise seen their own Governor’s races go from leaning Democratic to being polling tossups as Republicans continue to gather momentum nationwide.
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