A new poll released this week shows Democrat Mark Schauer gaining ground in the race to unseat Republican Gov. Rick Snyder in Michigan‘s gubernatorial race.
Market Resource Group, a Lansing, Mich.-based company, found that among likely voters Snyder leads Schauer 44.6 percent to 44.3 percent. The virtual tie is a stark contrast from MRG’s last poll released in March that had Snyder up eight points over his Democratic challenger.
“As Mark Schauer has become better known, he has consistently gained support among his Democratic base,” said Tom Shields, president of MRG. “At this time the race for governor in Michigan has to be considered a toss-up.”
Unsurprisingly, the MRG poll finds Snyder leading among male votes and the general voting blocks of west Michigan and mid-Michigan. Schauer is leading with female voters and general voters in the Detroit metro area, especially union members in Michigan’s largest city.
Democrats are also surging in the race to replace retiring Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. MRG found that Rep. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is leading former Republican Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land 46.7 percent to 40 percent.
In March, when MRG last polled the Senate race, Land held a two-point lead over her Democratic challenger.
“It appears that Land’s campaign has hit a wall over the past four months while Peters has picked up nine percent of the previously undecided voters,” Shields said in a release. “This is coming down to a battle for the ticket-splitting, Independent voters and as of now, Peters is leading among ticket-splitters by 15 percent.”
Among Independents, Peters is pulling in nearly 50 percent of the vote, leading Land 48 to 33 percent.
