Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) and President Joe Biden’s approval numbers continue to decline throughout the state, according to a poll commissioned by the Detroit Regional Chamber.
After analyzing 600 registered voters, the results of the poll conducted by the Glengariff Group detail that Michiganders are split on Whitmer’s job performance, but the majority of voters believe the economy is on the wrong track.
By a margin of 47.9 percent to 46.3 percent, Michigan voters very narrowly approve of the performance of Governor Whitmer, a sharp decline of the numbers Whitmer held earlier this year. Specifically, the governor’s performance with “independent” voters has heavily dropped. With the majority of independents disapproving of Whitmer, her odds at an additional term could face an uphill battle.
“Michigan elections are decided by independent voters and how she does with these independent voters moving forward will really dictate her performance in the 2022 election,” said Richard Czuba, a pollster with the Glengariff Group.
In a previous poll, Whitmer trailed a potential Republican challenger on a generic ballot. Only 40.8 percent detailed that the incumbent deserved to be reelected, while 55.5 percent said it is “time for someone new.”
According to the poll, President Biden is also performing poorly. In total, only 39 percent of voters approve of Biden’s performance as president, with the strongest decline in support stemming from individuals who identify themselves as “leaning Democratic.”
“The Afghan situation and pullout, the confusion around the booster shots have certainly cost the Biden administration some credibility,” said Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber
Furthermore, the poll was conducted before Biden issued a broad COVID-19 mandate that requires certain businesses to mandate the coronavirus vaccine, a move that could potentially impact his approval numbers even more.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Gretchen Whitmer” by Gretchen Whitmer.
