Michigan Gov. race: Rich Snyder, Mark Schauer essentially tied, both claim momentum
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Democratic challenger Mark Schauer are nearly tied, just a week after the same poll indicated Snyder had a noticable lead.
The EPIC-MRA survey of 600 likely voters suggests that 45 percent would vote for the Republican incumbent if the election were held today, compared to 43 percent for Schauer. Three precent backed third-party candidates.
Snyder’s two percentage point lead in the poll, conducted Sunday through Tuesday, falls within the margin of error of plus or minus four points, and nine percent of respondents remain undecided.
Most of those undecideds have voted for Democrats in the past, according to EPIC-MRA pollster Bernie Porn, who credited Schauer with better messaging in recent television ads discussing schools and the economy.
“Schauer has picked up dramatically among independents,” said Porn. “He’s getting almost as many Republican voters as Snyder is Democrats. If he can solidify the vote amongst Democrats and African Americans he has a real shot.”
The latest numbers are much closer than a similar EPIC-MRA poll released last week showing Snyder with an eight percentage point lead. Snyder lost two points since then, while Schauer picked up four.
“As we’ve always said, Rick Snyder is still stuck in the mid-40s and this poll shows that Mark has all the momentum in this race,” said Schauer spokeswoman Cathy Bacile Cunningham, who suggested the so-called pension tax is weighing down the governor’s re-election bid.
“We expect the race to be close all the way through Election Day and turnout will be key,” she said.
Two other polls published this week by media outlets in the Detroit market showed Snyder with a five percentage point lead. Real Clear Politics, which averages recent polls, had pegged Snyder’s lead at four points prior to the EPIC-MRA release.
Snyder spokesperson Emily Benavides, citing newspaper endorsements from across the state , said Snyder has “all the momentum” heading into election day “due to his positive message” about private sector job growth, the lowest unemployment rate in six years, investments in education and the bipartisan “Grand Bargain” in Detroit’s bankruptcy case.
“Michigan is on the road to recovery, and Governor Snyder’s leading the way,” Benavides said.
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