Former Police Chief Leads Gretchen Whitmer In Governor’s Race: Poll

A new poll released Tuesday for the 2022 Michigan governor race shows former Detroit Police Chief James Craig with a six-point lead over incumbent Gretchen Whitmer.

In the poll, released by the Trafalgar Group, 50.4% percent of respondents indicated that they would vote for Craig, 44.4% said Whitmer was their choice for governor, and 5.2% said that they were still undecided. 

According to the poll, 53.4% of respondents were Democrats, 35% Republicans, and 11.6% identified as Independents. Roughly 81.6% of those surveyed were white, 12.6 percent were black, 2 percent were Hispanic, and 1.5% were Asian. The most common age range polled were those between the ages of 45-64, this range came in at 37.9%.

Craig first announced his run for governor of Michigan in July on Tucker Carlson’s show. In his announcement, he highlighted his record as Detroit Police Chief during the summer of 2020 in preventing riots.

“The best part, the last eight years here in Detroit, we know what happened last year. You know, when other cities were burning, we know that Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago — but Detroit did not burn,” Craig said on the show. 

After appearing on Carlson’s show, Craig, who had been police chief of Detroit for eight years, waited until last week to officially launch his campaign for governor. 

But before he even has the chance to take on Whitmer, he will need to make it past a number of other Republican candidates who are also seeking the party’s nomination. Other Republicans in the race include Detroit pastor Ralph Rebandt, anti-lockdown chiropractor Garrett Soldano, and conservative television host Tudor Dixon. 

During his announcement on September 14, Craig’s kick-off speech was disrupted by rowdy protesters chanting anti-police slogans including “No justice, no peace, James Craig is still police” and “Black Lives Matter.” As Craig and his team were forced to leave, the Holland Sentinel reported that the protesters flipped them off as well. 

“Michiganders deserve competent, consistent leaders who will always put people before politics,” Craig said in an email. “I spent 44 years protecting and serving my community, including eight years as chief of police in Detroit, and I’m prepared to lead from the front.”

Craig has also come under fire from abortion activists after a secret recording showed that he would stop any effort to throw out Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban, which could be reinstated if the Supreme Court decides to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

As the Detroit Metro Times noted, Craig said that he would block any effort by state Democrats to repeal the abortion ban. 

“James Craig is unapologetically pro-life and opposes liberal efforts for abortion on demand, late-term abortions, and partial-birth abortions,” his campaign said in a written statement. 

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