The most recent update of a long-running survey released by Michigan State University's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) shows the state's Democratic nominees for governor and an open U.S. Senate seat ahead of their Republican rivals.
The results from the State of the State Survey, which were released Sept. 1, also appeared to bolster other recent polling results showing Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson of Detroit ahead of U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township in the race for governor and former Wayne County and Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor ahead of former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake in the race for the U.S. Senate seat.
The poll showed Benson with what IPPSR characterized as a significant,
9-percentage-point lead over James, 52%-43% among likely voters. El-Sayed had a 5-point lead, 50%-45%, over Rogers in the survey.
IPPSR didn't release all the data associated with the survey, which includes multiple questions, but will do so in the future as is typical. Interviews were conducted by MSU's Office of Survey Research and IPPSR between Aug. 10-20 with 1,000 Michigan adult residents, including 913 registered voters and 779 likely voters, using a YouGov online panel recruited to match a representative sample of the state's population.
As such, the margin of error, when compared to similar-sized surveys of the general population, is expected to be plus or minus 4 percentage points for the sample of likely voters.
The State of the State Survey has been conducted continuously since 1994.
A poll released over the weekend by EPIC-MRA of Lansing showed both Benson and El-Sayed with a 4-percentage-point lead in their races; that poll, for which 600 likely voters were interviewed Aug. 22-28, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
IPPSR also said their findings showed a "growing generational split within the electorate," with El-Sayed having stronger support among younger voters than Benson but trailing her level of support among older voters.
"Rogers is running ahead of James, with more success among independents. But El-Sayed is not really underperforming Benson; he's just relying on a younger coalition," said IPPSR Director Matt Grossmann.
Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New poll shows Democrats leading in races for governor, U.S. Senate
