Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters holds a small lead over Republican challenger John James in the Michigan race, according to a new statewide poll, but they are in a virtually statistical dead heat in a race where the candidates have raised a combined $17.3 million.
Peters, who is finishing his first term, is ahead of James 44% to 40% in a Glengariff Group poll of 600 likely Michigan voters that was provided to The Detroit News. About 16% of voters are undecided in a race that is expected to receive national attention since Peters is one of two senators running in states that President Donald Trump won in 2016.
The close race is “fairly typical for a first-term senator running for re-election,” said Richard Czuba, pollster and founder of Lansing-based Glengariff Group.
“It’s always the most difficult re-election that a U.S. senator tends to get,” Czuba said. “This is not unexpected.”
Glengariff’s poll marks the first survey taken this year in the contest.
Trump calls Democrat he pardoned a ‘loser’ for not switching parties
FIRST ON FOX: FBI targets Ghana scam compound linked to nearly $10M in losses, more than 130 detained
El-Sayed’s scathing Obama critique resurfaces ahead of joint campaign rally
Marine Corps Osprey catches fire during exercise in North Carolina; 4 injured
Rubio criticizes media for demanding comment on Guilfoyle report: ‘It’s not the gospel’
‘Demon,’ ‘Bigot,’ ‘Satan Spawn’: Duchess Meghan’s Fans Rabidly Attack Priest for Offering up $8 Version of Her $150 Advent Calendar
‘Cornell 7’ Figure Fights Back Against ‘Improper’ Appointment of Letitia James with Court Move
Ken Paxton touts ‘missing Talarico’ flyers across Texas
‘Annie Trannie Andrews’ and ‘Mohammed el Sayed’: Trump goes scorched-earth on Democrats. Will it backfire?
Nicolas Maduro and wife Cilia Flores face new charge of conspiracy to torture Americans
Dem House hopeful alleges she was brutally attacked during 2 am campaign errand
Fox News President Issues Defiant Response to Trump’s Criticism: ‘It’s What We Do’
Andrews says she doesn’t support gender surgeries for minors after previously advocating against a ban
Russia denies another plague case as WHO presses for more information
Taxpayer-funded autism giant faces scrutiny over abuse cases and billing as Trump targets healthcare fraud
James, the Farmington Hills businessman and combat veteran, is making his second bid for the Senate after losing by a smaller-than-expected 6.5 percentage points to U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Lansing, a longtime Democratic incumbent.
Peters of Bloomfield Township has raised $9.3 million since the beginning of last year compared with nearly $8 million for James, who out-raised Peters $3.5 million to $2.5 million in the last quarter of 2019.
Czuba said both candidates have relatively low name identification — Peters is at 70% compared with James’ 59% — but “there’s a lot of room to grow for both of them.”
Peters first won his seat in the U.S. Senate in 2014 with 54% of the vote, defeating Republican former Secretary of State Terry Lynn Land. In that GOP wave election when Republicans seized control of the Senate, Peters was the only non-incumbent Democratic to emerge victorious.
“Sen. Peters is focused on his work in the Senate delivering for Michigan, expanding job training, securing a record funding increase for the Great Lakes, and working to bring down health care and prescription drug costs,” said Dan Farough, Peters’ campaign manager. “He will run and win on his strong record of fighting for middle class families and working across party lines to get results.”
Trump calls Democrat he pardoned a ‘loser’ for not switching parties
FIRST ON FOX: FBI targets Ghana scam compound linked to nearly $10M in losses, more than 130 detained
El-Sayed’s scathing Obama critique resurfaces ahead of joint campaign rally
Marine Corps Osprey catches fire during exercise in North Carolina; 4 injured
Rubio criticizes media for demanding comment on Guilfoyle report: ‘It’s not the gospel’
‘Demon,’ ‘Bigot,’ ‘Satan Spawn’: Duchess Meghan’s Fans Rabidly Attack Priest for Offering up $8 Version of Her $150 Advent Calendar
‘Cornell 7’ Figure Fights Back Against ‘Improper’ Appointment of Letitia James with Court Move
Ken Paxton touts ‘missing Talarico’ flyers across Texas
‘Annie Trannie Andrews’ and ‘Mohammed el Sayed’: Trump goes scorched-earth on Democrats. Will it backfire?
Nicolas Maduro and wife Cilia Flores face new charge of conspiracy to torture Americans
Dem House hopeful alleges she was brutally attacked during 2 am campaign errand
Fox News President Issues Defiant Response to Trump’s Criticism: ‘It’s What We Do’
Andrews says she doesn’t support gender surgeries for minors after previously advocating against a ban
Russia denies another plague case as WHO presses for more information
Taxpayer-funded autism giant faces scrutiny over abuse cases and billing as Trump targets healthcare fraud
The early poll results are terrific for James, said Stu Sandler, a longtime GOP consultant who worked on James’ 2018 campaign and is involved with this one too.
“It’s a statistical dead heat, and John is performing strong and he’s doing well,” Sandler said. “Voters are responding to him. We’re not surprised by these numbers. We feel good about them. But we’ve got a long way to go.”
Trump, whom James heartily embraced in his race against Stabenow, may play a role in the Senate race since he has a low favorability rating in Michigan, where Democrats have the voting registration advantage and are motivated to vote, Czuba said.
“The bottom line is this race is going to be caught in the national current,” he said. “Whatever happens nationally or plays out in Michigan, is going to reflected in this U.S. Senate race. In 2020, we continue to look at a historic motivation to vote which means a lot of voters are turning out. And big turnout helps Democrats.”
Story cited here.
