Michigan Gov. Whitmer’s Lead Falls as Election Day Nears

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s double-digit polling lead over Republican challenger Tudor Dixon in the Michigan governor’s race has fallen to just a 6-point advantage with only a month to go before Election Day.

Roughly 53% of Michigan voters say they plan to vote for the Democratic incumbent, compared to 47% who say they’d back Dixon, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll. The 6-point lead is a significant drop from polls earlier this month that showed Whitmer with a 17-point lead over her Republican opponent.

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Whitmer enjoys high approval ratings in the state, with 52% approving of her job performance, according to the poll. The Democratic incumbent may hold another advantage over Dixon, as 55% of voters find the Republican candidate to be more “extreme,” compared to just 47% who say the same for Whitmer.

However, Dixon holds an advantage with voters who view the economy as one of their top issues, with 55% of that voting bloc saying they’d vote for the Republican over 45% who say they’d back Whitmer, according to the poll.

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The economy has emerged as one of the top priorities in the midterm elections, with a majority of Michigan voters (52%) disapproving of President Joe Biden’s handling of the issue, the poll showed. However, Whitmer may not have to worry about the president’s standing in the state, as only two-thirds of voters say Biden’s support for the Democratic governor affects whether they’d vote for her.

The CBS/YouGov poll surveyed 1,285 registered voters in Wisconsin between Oct. 3 and 7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.